FAMOUS  VIOLINISTS 

HENRY   C.  LAHEE 


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University  of  California 
Department  of  University  Extension 


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Department 

OF  University 

Extension 

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FAMOUS  VIOLINISTS  OF  TO-DAY 
AND  YESTERDAY 


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OLE  BULL. 


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1 


Famous  Violinists 
of  To-day  and  Yesterday 

By 
Henry   C.   Lahee 


ILLUSTRATED 


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Boston 
L.  C.   Page  and  Company 

(Incorporated) 

1899 


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Copyright^  i8gg 
By  L.  C.  Page  and  Company 

(incorporated) 


CTolonial  Pr«ss : 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co. 

Boston,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE. 

In  "  Famous  Violinists  "  the  writer  has 
endeavoured  to  follow  the  same  general 
plan  as  in  "Famous  Singers,"  viz.,  to  give 
a  ** bird's-eye  view"  of  the  most  celebrated 
violinists  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  pres- 
ent day  rather  than  a  detailed  account  of 
a  very  few.  Necessarily,  those  who  have 
been  prominently  before  the  public  as  per- 
formers are  selected  in  preference  to  those 
who  have  been  more  celebrated  as  teachers. 

It  was  at  first  intended  to  arrange  the 
chapters  according  to  "  schools,"  but  it  soon 
became  evident  that  such  a  plan  would  lead 
to  inextricable  confusion,  and  it  was  found 
best  to  follow  the  chronological  order  of 
birth. 


366170 


X  Preface. 

The  "Chronological  Table"  is  compiled 
from  the  best  existing  authorities,  and  is 
not  an  effort  to  bring  together  a  large  num- 
ber of  names.  If  such  were  the  desire,  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  filling  up  a  large 
volume  with  names  of  the  violinists  of  good 
capabilities,  who  are  well  known  in  their 
own  cities. 

Henry  C.  Lahee. 


CONTENTS. 


:haptbr 

PAGE 

Preface     . 

ix 

I. 

Introductory    . 

II 

II. 

1650  TO  1750 

.     30 

III. 

1750  TO  1800 

.     60 

IV. 

Paganini     . 

.    104 

V. 

1800    TO    1830 

.   135 

VI. 

OLE  Bull   . 

.   172 

VII. 

1830    TO    1850 

.    204 

VIII. 

Joachim 

.   244 

IX. 

Violinists  of  To-day 

.     261 

X. 

Women  as  Violinists 

.     300 

XI. 

Famous  Quarti 

ITS 

. 

.     345 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 


OLE  Bull 

Arcangelo  Corelli 
NiCOLO   Paganini  . 
Camillo  Sivori      . 
Martin  Pierre  Joseph 
Joseph  Joachim     . 
Emil  Sauret 
Eugene  Ysaye 
Maud  Powell 
Franz  Kneisel 


Marsick 


PAGE 

Frontispiece 

.       30 
.     104 

.  154 

.  238 

.  244 

.  265 

.  274 

.  340 

.  362 


FAMOUS  VIOLINISTS  OF  TO-DAY 
AND  YESTERDAY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

There  is  no  instrument  of  music  made  by 
the  hands  of  man  that  holds  such  a  powerful 
sway  over  the  emotions  of  every  living  thing 
capable  of  hearing,  as  the  violin.  The  singu- 
lar powers  of  this  beautiful  instrument  have 
been  eloquently  eulogised  by  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes,  in  the  following  words  : 

"Violins,  too.     The  sweet  old  Amati!  the 

divine  Stradivari !  played  on  by  ancient  ma- 

estros  until  the  bow  hand  lost  its  power,  and 

the  flying  fingers  stiffened.     Bequeathed  to 

II 


'^  ,iZl)  Famous  Violinists. 

the  passionate  young  enthusiast,  who  made 
it  whisper  his  hidden  love,  and  cry  his  in- 
articulate longings,  and  scream  his  untold 
agonies,  and  wail  his  monotonous  despair. 
Passed  from  his  dying  hand  to  the  cold 
virtuoso,  who  let  it  slumber  in  its  case  for 
a  generation,  till,  when  his  hoard  was  broken 
up,  it  came  forth  once  more,  and  rode  the 
stormy  symphonies  of  royal  orchestras,  be- 
neath the  rushing  bow  of  their  lord  and 
leader.  Into  lonely  prisons  with  improvi- 
dent artists ;  into  convents  from  which  arose, 
day  and  night,  the  holy  hymns  with  which 
its  tones  were  blended ;  and  back  again  to 
orgies,  in  which  it  learned  to  howl  and  laugh 
as  if  a  legion  of  devils  were  shut  up  in  it ; 
then,  again,  to  the  gentle  dilettante^  who 
calmed  it  down  with  easy  melodies  until 
it  answered  him  softly  as  in  the  days  of 
the  old  maestros ;  and  so  given  into  our 
hands,  its  pores  all  full  of  music,  stained 
like  the  meerschaum   through  and  through 


Introductory.  1 3 

with  the  concentrated  hue  and  sweetness  of 
all  the  harmonies  which  have  kindled  and 
faded  on  its  strings." 

Such,  indeed,  has  been  the  history  of 
many  a  noble  instrument  fashioned  years 
and  years  ago,  in  the  days  when  violin 
playing  did  not  hold  the  same  respect  and 
admiration  that  it  commands  at  the  present 
time. 

The  evolution  of  the  violin  is  a  matter 
which  can  be  traced  back  to  the  dark  ages, 
but  the  fifteenth  century  may  be  considered 
as  the  period  when  the  art  of  making  instru- 
ments of  the  viol  class  took  root  in  Italy. 
It  cannot  be  said,  however,  that  the  violin, 
with  the  modelled  back  which  gives  its 
distinctive  tone,  made  its  appearance  until 
the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  In 
France,  England,  and  Germany,  there  was 
very  little  violin  making  until  the  beginning 
of  the  following  century.  Andrea  Amati 
was  born  in    1520,  and  he  was  the  founder 


14  Famous  Violinists. 

of  the  great  Cremona  school  of  violin  makers, 
of  which  Nicolo  Amati,  the  grandson  of 
Andrea,  was  the  most  eminent.  The  art 
of  violin  making  reached  its  zenith  in  Italy 
at  the  time  of  Antonio  Stradivari,  who  lived 
at  Cremona.  He  was  born  in  1644,  and 
lived  until  1737,  continuing  his  labours  al- 
most to  the  day  of  his  death,  for  an  instru- 
ment is  in  existence  made  by  him  in  the 
year  in  which  he  died.  It  is  an  interesting 
fact  that  the  art  of  violin  making  in  Italy 
developed  at  the  time  when  the  painters 
of  Italy  displayed  their  greatest  genius,  and 
when  the  fine  arts  were  encouraged  by  the 
most  distinguished  patronage. 

As  the  art  of  violin  making  developed,  so 
did  that  of  violin  playing,  but,  whereas  the 
former  reached  its  climax  with  Stradivari, 
the  latter  is  still  being  developed,  as  new 
writers  and  players  find  new  difficulties  and 
new  effects.  While  there  are  many  proofs 
that  orchestras  existed,  and  that  violins  of 


Introductory.  1 5 

all  sizes  were  used  in  ecclesiastical  music, 
there  is  still  some  doubt  as  to  who  was 
the  first  solo  violinist  of  eminence.  The 
earliest  of  whom  we  have  any  account 
worthy  of  mention,  was  Baltazarini,  a  native 
of  Piedmont,  who  went  to  France  in  1577 
to  superintend  the  music  of  Catharine  de 
Medici.  In  1581  he  composed  the  music  for 
the  nuptials  of  the  Duke  de  Joyeuse  with 
Mile,  de  Vaudemont,  sister  of  the  queen, 
and  this  is  said  to  have  been  the  origin  of 
the  heroic  and  historical  ballet  in  France. 

The  progress  of  violin  playing  can  also 
be  judged  somewhat  by  the  compositions 
written  for  the  instrument.  Of  these  the 
earliest  known  is  a  "  Romanesca  per  violone 
Solo  e  Basso  se  piaci,"  and  some  dances,  by 
Biagio  Marini,  published  in  1620.  This  con- 
tains the  "shake."  Then  there  is  a  "Toc- 
cata" for  violin  solo,  by  Paolo  Quagliati, 
published  in  1623,  and  a  collection  of  violin 
pieces  by   Carlo  Farina,   published  in    1627 


1 6  Famous  Violinists. 

at  Dresden,  in  which  the  variety  of  bowing, 
double  stopping,  and  chords  shows  a  great 
advance  in  the  demands  upon  the  execution. 

Farina  held  the  position  of  solo  violinist  at 
the  Court  of  Saxony,  and  has  been  called  the 
founder  of  the  race  of  violin  virtuosi.  One 
of  his  compositions,  named  "  Cappriccio  Stra- 
vagante,"  requires  the  instrument  to  imitate 
the  braying  of  an  ass,  and  other  sounds 
belonging  to  the  animal  kingdom,  as  well 
as  the  twanging  of  guitars  and  the  fife 
and  drum  of  the  soldier. 

Eighteen  sonatas  composed  by  Giovanni 
Battista  Fontana,  and  published  at  Venice  in 
1 64 1,  show  a  distinct  advance  in  style,  and 
Tomasso  Antonio  Vitali,  himself  a  famous 
violinist,  wrote  a  "  Chaconne  "  of  such  merit 
that  it  was  played  by  no  less  a  virtuoso  than 
Joachim,  at  the  Monday  popular  concerts 
in  London,  in  1870,  nearly  two  hundred 
years  after  its  composition. 

Italy  was  the  home  of  the  violin,  of  com- 


Introductory.  1 7 

position  for  the  violin,  and  of  violin  playing, 
for  the  first  school  was  the  old  Italian  school, 
and  from  Italy,  by  means  of  her  celebrated 
violinists,  who  travelled  and  spread  through- 
out Europe,  the  other  schools  were  estab- 
lished. 

Violin  playing  grew  in  favour  in  Italy, 
France,  Germany,  and  England  at  about 
the  same  time,  but  in  England  it  was 
many  years  before  the  violinist  held  a 
position  of  any  dignity.  The  fiddle,  as  it 
was  called,  was  regarded  by  the  gentry 
with  profound  contempt.  Butler,  in  "  Hudi- 
bras,"  refers  to  one  Jackson,  who  lost  a 
leg  in  the  service  of  the  Roundheads,  and 
became  a  professional  "  fiddler  :  " 

"  A  squeaking  engine  he  apply'd 
Unto  his  neck,  on  northeast  side, 
Just  where  the  hangman  does  dispose, 
To  special  friends,  the  knot  or  noose ; 
For  'tis  great  grace,  when  statesmen 

straight 
Dispatch  a  friend,  let  others  wait. 


1 8  Famous  Violinists. 

His  grisly  beard  was  long  and  thick, 
With  which  he  strung  his  fiddle-stick ; 
For  he  to  horse-tail  scorned  to  owe, 
For  what  on  his  own  chin  did  grow." 

Many  years  later  Purcell,  the  composer, 
wrote  a  catch  in  which  the  merits  of  a  violin 
maker  named  Young,  and  his  son,  a  violin 
player,  are  recorded.  The  words  are  as 
follows  : 

"  You  scrapers  that  want  a  good  fiddle,  well  strung, 
You  must  go  to  the  man  that  is  old  while   he's 

Young ; 
But  if  this  same  Fiddle,  you  fain  would  play  bold, 
You  must  go  to  his  son,  who'll  be  Young  when  he's 

old. 
There's  old  Young  and  young  Young,  both  men  of 

renown, 
Old  sells  and  young  plays  the  best  Fiddle  in  town, 
Young  and  old  live  together,  and  may  they  live 

long, 
Young  to  play  an  old  Fiddle;  old  to  sell  a  new 

song." 

In  the  course  of  time  the  English  learned 
to  esteem  all  arts  more  highly,  and  in  no 


Introductory.  19 

country  was  a  great  musician  more  sure  of 
a  warm  welcome. 

Two  celebrated  violinists  were  born  in  the 
year  1630,  Thomas  Baltzar,  and  John  Banis- 
ter, the  former  in  Germany,  at  Lubec,  and 
the  latter  in  London. 

Baltzar  was  esteemed  the  finest  performer 
of  his  time,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
to  have  introduced  the  practice  of  "  shifting." 
In  1656  Baltzar  went  to  England,  where  he 
quite  eclipsed  Davis  Mell,  a  clockmaker,  who 
was  considered  a  fine  player,  and  did  much 
to  give  the  violin  an  impetus  toward  popu- 
larity. The  wonder  caused  by  his  perform- 
ances in  England,  shortly  after  his  arrival,  is 
best  described  in  the  quaint  language  of 
Anthony  Wood,  who  ''did,  to  his  very 
great  astonishment,  hear  him  play  on  the 
violin.  He  then  saw  him  run  up  his 
Fingers  to  the  end  of  the  Fingerboard  of 
the  Violin,  and  run  them  back  insensibly, 
and    all    with    alacrity,    and    in    very    good 


20  Famous  Violinists. 

tune,  which  he  nor  any  in  England  saw  the 
like  before." 

At  the  Restoration  Baltzar  was  appointed 
leader  of  the  king's  celebrated  band  of 
twenty -four  violins,  but,  sad  to  relate, 
"  Being  much  admired  by  all  lovers  of  mu- 
sick,  his  company  was  therefore  desired ; 
and  company,  especially  musical  company, 
delighting  in  drinking,  made  him  drink  more 
than  ordinary,  which  brought  him  to  his 
grave."  And  he  was  buried  in  the  cloister 
of  Westminster  Abbey. 

John  Banister  was  taught  music  by  his 
father,  one  of  the  waits  of  the  parish  of  St. 
Giles,  and  acquiring  great  proficiency  on  the 
violin  was  noticed  by  King  Charles  II.,  who 
sent  him  to  France  for  improvement.  On 
his  return  he  was  appointed  chief  of  the 
king's  violins.  King  Charles  was  an  admirer 
of  everything  French,  and  he  appears,  accord- 
ing to  Pepys,  to  have  aroused  the  wrath  of 
Banister  by  giving  prominence  to  a  French 


Introductory.  2 1 

fiddler  named  Grabu,  who  is  said  to  have 
been  an  ''impudent  pretender."  Banister 
lost  his  place  for  saying,  either  to  or  in  the 
hearing  of  the  king,  that  English  performers 
on  the  violin  were  superior  to  those  of 
France. 

John  Banister  lived  in  times  when  fiddle 
playing  was  not  highly  esteemed,  if  we  may 
judge  by  the  following  ordinance,  made  in 
1658:  "And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the 
authority  aforesaid,  that  if  any  person  or 
persons,  commonly  called  Fiddlers,  or  min- 
strels, shall  at  any  time  after  the  said  first 
day  of  July  be  taken  playing,  Fiddling,  or 
making  music  in  any  inn,  alehouse,  or  tavern 
or  shall  be  proffering  themselves,  or  desir- 
ing, or  entreating  any  person  or  persons  to 
hear  them  play  .  ,  .  shall  be  adjudged  .  .  . 
rogues,  vagabonds,  and  sturdy  beggars." 

John  Banister  seems  to  have  been  a  some- 
what ''sturdy  beggar,"  though  not  exactly 
in  the  sense  meant  by  the  ordinance,  for  he 


22  Famous  Violinists. 

established  regular  concerts  at  his  house, 
''  now  called  the  Musick-school,  over  against 
the  George  Tavern  in  Whitefriars."  These 
concerts  began  in  1672,  and  continued  till 
near  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1679.  H^' 
too,  was  buried  in  the  cloister  of  Westmin- 
ster Abbey.  His  son,  also,  was  an  excellent 
performer  on  the  violin,  and  played  first  vio- 
lin in  the  Italian  opera  when  it  was  first 
introduced  into  England.  He  was  one  of  the 
musicians  of  Charles  H.,  James  II.,  William 
and  Mary,  and  of  Queen  Anne. 

Henry  Eccles,  who  lived  about  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  went  to  France, 
where  he  became  a  member  of  the  king's 
band,  and  William  Corbett,  who  went  to 
Italy  to  study  the  violin  in  17 10,  was  a  player 
of  much  ability  ;  but  one  of  the  most  eminent 
of  English  violinists  was  Matthew  Dubourg, 
born  1703,  who  played  at  a  concert  when  he 
was  so  small  that  he  was  placed  on  a  stool 
in  order  that  he  might  be  seen.     At  eleven 


Introductory.  23 

years  of  age  he  was  placed  under  Geminiani, 
who  had  recently  established  himself  in  Lon- 
don. Dubourg  was  appointed,  in  1728, 
Master  and  Composer  of  State-Music  in 
Ireland,  and  on  the  death  of  Festing,  in 
1752,  he  became  leader  of  the  king's  band 
in  London,  and  held  both  posts  until  his 
death  in  1767. 

An  amusing  incident  is  related  of  Dubourg 
and  Handel.  The  latter  visited  Dublin  and 
presided  at  a  performance  of  the  "  Messiah." 
A  few  evenings  later,  Dubourg,  who  was 
leader  of  the  band  at  the  Theatre,  had  to 
improvise  a  "close,"  and  wandered  about  in 
a  fit  of  abstract  modulation  for  so  long  that 
he  forgot  the  original  key.  At  last,  how- 
ever, after  a  protracted  shake,  he  landed 
safely  on  the  key-note,  when  Handel  called 
out  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard  in 
the  remotest  parts  of  the  theatre,  "  Welcome 
home,  welcome  home,  Mr.  Dubourg." 

Dubourg' s  name  is  the  first  on  record  in 


24  Famous  Violinists. 

connection  with  the  performance  of  a  con- 
certo in  an  English  theatre. 

John  Clegg,  a  pupil  of  Dubourg,  was  a 
violinist  of  great  ability,  whom  Handel  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  opera  band,  but  his  facul- 
ties became  deranged  by  intense  study  and 
practice,  and  he  died  at  a  comparatively  early 
age,  in  1742,  an  inmate  of  Bedlam. 

Another  very  promising  young  English 
violinist  was  Thomas  Linley,  who  exhibited 
great  musical  powers,  and  performed  a  con- 
certo in  public  when  eight  years  old.  He 
was  sent  to  Italy  to  study  under  Nardini,  and 
through  the  mediation  of  that  artist  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  Mozart,  who  was  about 
the  same  age.  Linley's  career  was  prema- 
turely closed,  for  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
he  was  drowned  through  the  capsizing  of  a 
pleasure-boat. 

This  completes  the  list  of  English  violin- 
ists of  note  who  were  born  previous  to  the 
nineteenth  century.     The  later  ones  we  shall 


Introductory.  25 

find  in  their  place  in  succeeding  chapters, 
but  there  have  been  very  few  vioHnists  of 
EngUsh  birth  who  have  followed  the  career 
of  the  "virtuoso."  Even  Antonio  James 
Oury,  who  made  a  series  of  concert  tours 
lasting  nine  years,  during  which  he  occasion- 
ally appeared  in  conjunction  with  De  Beriot 
and  Malibran,  is  hardly  known  as  a  "■  vir- 
tuoso," and  was  not  all  English.  But  there 
are  pathetic  circumstances  in  regard  to  the 
career  of  Oury.  He  was  the  son  of  an 
Italian  of  noble  descent,  who  had  served  as 
an  officer  in  the  army  of  Napoleon,  and  had 
been  taken  prisoner  by  the  English.  Mak- 
ing the  best  of  his  misfortunes  the  elder 
Oury  settled  in  England,  married  a  Miss 
Hughes,  and  became  a  professor  of  dancing 
and  music. 

The  son,  Antonio,  began  to  learn  the  violin 
at  the  age  of  three,  in  which  he  was  a  year 
or  two  ahead  of  the  average  virtuoso,  and 
he    made    great    progress.     By    and    by   he 


26  Famous  Violinists. 

heard  Spohr,  and  after  that  his  diligence 
increased,  for  he  practised,  during  seven 
months,  not  less  than  fourteen  hours  a  day. 
Even  Paganini  used  to  sink  exhausted  after 
ten  hours'  practice.  In  1820,  we  are  told, 
he  went  to  Paris  and  studied  under  Baillot, 
Kreutzer,  and  Lafont,  receiving  from  each 
two  lessons  a  week  for  several  successive 
winters.  With  such  an  imposing  array  of 
talent  at  his  service  much  might  be  expected 
of  Mr.  Oury,  and  he  actually  made  his  debut 
at  the  Philharmonic  concerts  in  London. 

There  was  another  unfortunate  officer  of 
Napoleon  who  became  tutor  to  the  Prin- 
cesses of  Bavaria.  His  name  was  Belleville. 
Mr.  Oury  met  his  daughter,  and,  there  being 
naturally  a  bond  of  sympathy  between  them, 
they  married.  She  was  an  amiable  and  ac- 
complished pianist,  and  together  they  made 
the  nine  years'  concert  tour. 

During  the  period  in  which  the  art  of 
violin  playing  was    being    perfected   on  the 


Intro  dice  to  ly.  2  7 

Continent,  the  English  were  too  fully  occu- 
pied with  commercial  pursuits  to  foster  and 
develop  the  art.  Up  to  the  present  day  the 
most  eminent  virtuoso  is  commonly  spoken 
of  as  a  "fiddler."  Even  Joachim,  when  he 
went  to  a  barber's  shop  in  High  Street, 
Kensington,  and  declined  to  accept  the 
advice  of  the  tonsorial  artist,  and  have  his 
hair  cropped  short,  was  warned  that  "  he'd 
look  like  one  o'  them  there  fiddler  chaps." 
The  barber  apparently  had  no  greater  esti- 
mation of  the  violinist's  art  than  the  latter 
had  of  the  tonsorial  profession,  and  the  situa- 
tion was  sufficiently  ludicrous  to  form  the 
subject  of  a  picture  in  Punch,  and  thus  the 
matter  assumed  a  serious  aspect. 

England  has  not  been  the  home  of  any 
particular  school  of  violin  playing,  but  has 
received  her  stimulus  from  Continental 
schools,  to  which  her  sons  have  gone  to 
study,  and  from  which  many  eminent  violin- 
ists have  been  imported. 


28  Famous  Violinists. 

The  word  '*  school,"  so  frequently  used 
in  connection  with  the  art  of  violin  playing, 
seems  to  lead  to  confusion.  The  Italian 
school,  established  by  Corelli,  appears  to 
have  been  the  only  original  school.  Its 
pupils  scattered  to  various  parts  of  Europe, 
and  there  established  other  schools.  To 
illustrate  this  statement,  we  will  follow  in  a 
direct  line  from  Corelli,  according  to  the 
table  given  in  Grove's  Dictionary. 

The  pupils  of  Corelli  were  Somis,  Loca- 
telli,  Geminiani  (Italians),  and  Anet  (a 
Frenchman),  whose  pupil  Senaille  was  also 
French.  The  greatest  pupil  of  Somis  was 
Pugnani,  an  Italian,  and  his  greatest  pupil 
was  Viotti,  a  Piedmontese,  who  founded  the 
French  school,  and  from  him  came  Rober- 
rechts,  his  pupil  De  Beriot  and  his  pupil 
Vieuxtemps,  the  two  latter  Belgians,  also 
Baillot,  etc.,  down  to  Marsick  and  Sarasate, 
a  Spaniard,  while  through  Rode,  a  French- 
man,   we    have    Bohm    (school    of    Vienna) 


Introductory.  29 

and  his  pupil  Joachim,  a  Hungarian  (school 
of  Berlin). 

Several  violinists  are  found  under  two 
schools,  as  for  instance,  Pugnani,  who  was 
first  a  pupil  of  Tartini  and  later  of  Somis, 
and  Teresa  Milanollo,  pupil  of  Lafont  and 
of  De  Beriot,  who  appear  under  different 
schools. 

The  only  conclusion  to  be  drawn  is  that 
the  greatest  violinists  were  really  indepen- 
dent of  any  school,  and,  by  their  own  genius, 
broke  loose  from  tradition  and  established 
schools  of  their  own.  Some  of  them,  on 
the  other  hand,  had  but  few  pupils,  as  for 
instance,  Paganini,  who  had  but  two,  and 
Sarasate.  Many  also  were  teachers  rather 
than  performers.  We  have  to  deal  chiefly 
with  the  virtuosi. 


CHAPTER   11. 

1650    TO    1750. 

Arcangelo  Corelli,  whose  name  is  recog- 
nised as  one  of  the  greatest  in  the  history 
of  violin  playing  and  composition,  and  who 
laid  the  foundation  for  all  future  develop- 
ment of  technique,  was  born  in  1653,  at 
Fusignano,  near  Imola,  in  the  territory  of 
Bologna. 

He  showed  an  early  propensity  for  the 
violin,  and  studied  under  Bassani,  a  man 
of  extensive  knowledge  and  capabilities, 
while  Mattel  Simonelli  was  his  instructor 
in  counterpoint. 

Corelli  at  one  time  sought  fame  away 
from  home,  and  he  is  said  to  have  visited 
Paris,    where    Lulli,    the    chief    violinist    of 

30 


>  >      >       >  1 


CORELLI. 


1 6^0  to  1750.  3 1 

that  city,  exhibited  such  jealousy  and  vio- 
lence that  the  mild-tempered  Corelli  with- 
drew. In  1680  he  went  to  Germany,  where 
he  was  well  received,  and  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  but  he  soon 
returned  to  Roine.  His  proficiency  had 
now  become  so  great  that  his  fame  extended 
throughout  Europe,  and  pupils  flocked  to 
him.  His  playing  was  characterised  by 
refined  taste  and  elegance,  and  by  a  firm 
and  even  tone. 

When  the  opera  was  well  established  in 
Rome,  about  1690,  Corelli  led  the  band. 
His  chief  patron  in  Rome  was  Cardinal 
Ottoboni,  and  it  was  at  his  house  that  an 
incident  occurred  which  places  Corelli  at 
the  head  of  those  musicians  who  have  from 
time  to  time  boldly  maintained  the  rights 
of  music  against  conversation.  He  was 
playing  a  solo  when  he  noticed  the  cardinal 
engaged  in  conversation  with  another  person. 
He  immediately   laid   down   his  violin,   and, 


32  Famous  Violmists. 

on  being  asked  the  reason,  answered  that 
"he  feared  the  music  might  interrupt  the 
conversation." 

Corelli  was  a  man  of  gentle  disposition 
and  simple  habits.  His  plainness  of  dress 
and  freedom  from  ostentation  gave  the 
impression  that  he  was  parsimonious,  and 
Handel  says  of  him  that  "he  liked  nothing 
better  than  seeing  pictures  without  paying 
for  it,  and  saving  money."  He  was  also 
noted  for  his  objection  to  riding  in  carriages. 

He  lived  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  the 
leading  artists  of  his  time,  and  had  a  great 
fondness  for  pictures,  of  which  he  had  a 
valuable  collection.  These  he  left  at  his 
death  to  Cardinal  Ottoboni. 

It  was  at  Cardinal  Ottoboni' s  that  Corelli 
became  acquainted  with  Handel,  and  at  one 
of  the  musical  evenings  there  a  "  Serenata," 
written  by  the  latter,  was  performed.  Corelli 
does  not  seem  to  have  played  it  according 
to  the  ideas  of  the  composer,  for  Handel, 


1 6 so  to  I J  so.  33 

giving  way  to  his  impetuous  temper,  snatched 
the  fiddle  out  of  Correlli's  hand.  Corelli 
mildly  remarked,  '*  My  dear  Saxon,  this 
music  is  in  the  French  style,  with  which  I 
am  not  acquainted." 

For  many  years  Corelli  remained  at  Rome, 
but  at  last  he  yielded  to  temptation  and 
went  to  Naples,  where  Scarlatti  induced 
him  to  play  some  of  his  concertos  before  the 
king.  This  he  did  in  great  fear,  for  he 
had  not  his  own  orchestra  with  him.  He 
found  Scarlatti's  musicians  able  to  play  at 
first  sight  as  well  as  his  own  did  after  re- 
hearsals, and,  the  performance  going  off  well, 
he  was  again  admitted  to  play,  this  time 
one  of  his  sonatas,  in  the  royal  presence. 
The  king  found  the  adagio  so  long  and  dry 
that  he  quitted  the  room,  much  to  Corelli's 
mortification.  But  greater  trouble  was  in 
store  for  the  virtuoso.  Scarlatti  had  written 
a  masque,  which  was  to  be  played  before 
the    king,    but    owing    to    the    composer's 


34  Famous  Violinists. 

limited  knowledge  of  the  violin,  Corelli's 
part  was  very  awkward  and  difficult,  and 
he  failed  to  execute  it,  while  the  Neapolitan 
violinists  played  it  with  ease.  To  make 
matters  worse,  Corelli  made  an  unfortunate 
mistake  in  the  next  piece,  which  was  written 
in  the  key  of  C  minor,  and  led  off  in  C 
major.  The  mistake  was  repeated,  and 
Scarlatti  had  to  call  out  to  him  to  set  him 
right.  His  mortification  was  so  great  that 
he  quietly  left  Naples  and  returned  to  Rome. 
He  found  here  a  new  violinist,  Valentini, 
who  had  won  the  admiration  of  the  people, 
and  he  took  it  so  much  to  heart  that  his 
health  failed,  and  he  died  in  January,  171 3. 

Corelli  was  buried  in  princely  style  in  the 
Pantheon,  not  far  from  Raphael's  tomb,  and 
Cardinal  Ottoboni  erected  a  monument  over 
his  grave.  During  many  years  after  his 
death  a  solemn  service,  consisting  of  selec- 
tions from  his  own  works,  was  performed  in 
the    Pantheon    on    the    anniversary  of    his 


j6^o  to  IJS^'  35 

funeral.  On  this  occasion,  the  works  were 
performed  in  a  slow,  firm,  and  distinct  man- 
ner, just  as  they  were  written,  without  chang- 
ing the  passages  in  the  way  of  embellishment, 
and  this  is  probably  the  way  in  which  he 
himself  played  them. 

Corelli's  compositions  are  remarkable  for 
delicate  taste  and  pleasing  melodies  and  har- 
monies. He  must  be  considered  as  the 
author  of  the  greatest  improvement  which 
violin  music  underwent  at  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  These  compositions 
are  regarded  as  invaluable  for  the  instruction 
of  young  players,  and  some  of  them  may  be 
frequently  heard  in  the  concert-room  at  the 
present  day,  two  hundred  years  since  they 
were  written.  Corelli's  most  celebrated 
pupils,  Somis,  Locatelli,  Geminiani,  and  Anet, 
settled  respectively  in  Italy,  Holland,  Eng- 
land, and  Poland. 

Giovanni  Battista  Somis  was  born  in  Pied- 
mont, and,  after  studying  under  Corelli,  he 


36  Famous  Violinists. 

went  to  Venice  and  studied  under  Vivaldi. 
He  was  appointed  solo  violinist  to  the  king 
at  Turin  and  leader  of  the  royal  band,  and 
seems  scarcely  ever  to  have  left  Turin  after 
these  appointments.  Little  is  known  of  his 
playing  or  his  compositions,  but,  by  the  work 
of  his  pupils,  it  is  evident  that  he  possessed 
originality.  He  formed  a  style  more  brilliant 
and  more  emotional,  and  caused  a  decided 
step  forward  in  the  art  of  violin  playing. 
He  was  the  teacher  of  Leclair,  Giardini,  and 
Chiabran,  as  well  as  Pugnani,  and  he  forms 
a  connecting  link  between  the  classical 
schools  of  Italy  and  France. 

Pietro  Locatelli  was  born  at  Bergamo,  and 
became  a  pupil  of  Corelli  at  a  very  early  age. 
He  travelled  considerably,  and  was  undoubt- 
edly a  great  and  original  virtuoso.  He  has 
been  accused  of  charlatanism,  inasmuch  as 
he  overstepped  all  reasonable  limits  in  his 
endeavours  to  enlarge  the  powers  of  execu- 
tion of  the  violin,  and  has,  on  that  account, 


i6so  to  ly^o.  37 

been  called  the  grandfather  of  our  modern 
"  finger-heroes." 

Locatelli  settled  in  Amsterdam,  where  he 
died  in  1764.  There  he  established  regular 
public  concerts,  and  he  left  a  number  of  com- 
positions, some  of  which  are  used  at  the 
present  day. 

Jean  Baptiste  Lulli,  one  of  the  earliest 
violinists  in  France,  is  perhaps  associated  with 
the  violin  in  a  manner  disproportionate  to 
the  part  he  actually  played  in  its  progress. 
He  was  a  musician  of  great  ability,  and  his 
compositions  are  occasionally  heard  even  to 
this  day.  Lulli  was  born  near  Florence  about 
1633.  When  quite  young  he  was  taken  to 
France  by  the  Chevalier  de  Guise,  and 
entered  the  service  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier. 
He  was  employed  in  the  kitchen,  where  he 
seems  to  have  lightened  his  burdens  by  play- 
ing tricks  on  the  cook  and  tunes  on  the 
stewpans.  He  also  beguiled  his  leisure  hours 
by  playing  the  violin,  in  which  art  he  made 


38  Famojis  Violinists, 

such  progress  that  the  princess  engaged  a 
regular  instructor  for  him.  Fortunately,  as 
it  turned  out,  his  wit  led  him  into  composing 
a  satirical  song  on  his  employer,  and  he  was 
sent  off,  but  shortly  afterwards  secured  a  post 
as  one  of  the  king's  violinists  in  the  cele- 
brated band  of  the  twenty-four  violins.  Soon 
after  this  a  special  band  called  Les  Petits 
Violons  was  formed  with  Lulli  at  their  head, 
and  under  his  direction  it  surpassed  the  band 
of  twenty-four. 

Lulli  found  great  favour  at  court,  and, 
indeed,  astonished  the  world  with  his  ex- 
quisite taste  and  skill.  That  he  was  firmly 
established  in  the  favour  of  the  king  is 
shown  by  the  story  that,  when  Corelli  came 
to  France  and  played  one  of  his  sonatas. 
King  Louis  listened  without  showing  any 
sign  of  pleasure,  and,  sending  for  one  of  his 
own  violinists,  requested  him  to  play  an  aria 
from  Lulli's  opera  of  "  Cadmus  et  Hermione," 
which,  he  declared,  suited  his  taste. 


i6^o  to  ly^o.  39 

There  is  little  doubt  that  the  principles  of 
the  great  Italian  school  of  violin  playing 
were,  some  years  later,  brought  into  France 
by  Anet,  who  was  born  in  1680,  and  returned 
from  Italy  about  1700,  but  owing  to  the 
jealousies  of  his  colleagues,  he  found  it  ad- 
visable to  leave  France  in  a  short  time,  and 
he  is  said  to  have  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  as 
conductor  of  the  private  band  of  a  nobleman 
in  Poland. 

LuUi  is  said  to  have  been  very  avaricious, 
and  his  wealth  included  four  houses,  all  in 
the  best  quarters  of  Paris,  together  with 
securities  and  appointments  worth  about 
$70,000.  His  death,  in  1687,  was  caused 
by  a  peculiar  accident.  While  conducting 
a  performance  of  his  orchestra  he  struck  his 
foot  with  the  cane  which  he  used  for  mark- 
ing the  time.  The  bruise  gradually  assumed 
such  a  serious  condition  that  it  ended  his 
life. 

Jean  Baptiste  Senaille,  who  was  a  pupil  of 


40  Famous  Violinists. 

Anet,  was  born  in  1687,  and  turned  to  the 
Italian  school.  In  1719  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Duke  of  Orleans. 

Francesco  Geminiani  was  considered  the 
ablest  of  the  pupils  of  Corelli,  and  was  born 
about  1680.  When  about  twenty-four  years 
of  age  he  went  to  England,  where  his  talent 
secured  a  great  reputation  for  him,  some 
people  even  declaring  him  to  be  superior,  as 
a  player,  to  Corelli.  He  lived  to  an  advanced 
age,  and  was  in  Dublin  visiting  his  pupil  Du- 
bourg  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a 
man  of  unsettled  habits,  and  was  frequently 
in  dire  necessity,  caused  chiefly  by  his  love 
of  pictures,  which  led  him  into  unwise  pur- 
chases, and  thus  frequently  into  debt. 

About  the  year  1650  three  violinists  were 
born  in  Italy,  who  all  left  their  mark  upon 
the  history  of  violin  playing. 

Tommaso  Vitali  was  born  at  Bologna,  and 
was  leader  of  the  orchestra  in  that  city,  and 
later  in  Modena. 


i6jO  to  ly^o.  41 

Giuseppe  Torelli  was  leader  of  a  church 
orchestra  in  Bologna,  and  afterwards  accepted 
the  post  of  leader  of  the  band  of  the  Mark- 
graf  of  Brandenburg-Anspach,  at  Anspach, 
in  Germany.  To  him  is  generally  ascribed 
the  invention  of  the  "  Concerto." 

Antonio  Vivaldi  was  the  son  of  a  violin- 
ist, and  sought  his  fortune  in  Germany,  but 
returned  to  his  native  city  in  1713.  He 
wrote  extensively  for  the  violin,  and  is  said 
to  have  added  something  to  the  development 
of  its  technique.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  him 
to  the  effect  that  one  day  during  mass  a 
theme  for  a  fugue  struck  him.  He  immedi- 
ately quitted  the  altar  at  which  he  was  offici- 
ating, for  he  united  clerical  with  musical 
duties,  and,  hastening  to  the  sacristy  to  write 
down  the  theme,  afterwards  returned  and 
finished  the  mass.  For  this  he  was  brought 
before  the  Inquisition,  but  being  considered 
only  as  a  ''  musician,"  a  term  synonymous 
with    *'  madman,"    the    sentence    was    mild, 


42  Famous  Violinists. 

—  he  was  forbidden  to  say  mass  in  the 
future. 

The  most  illustrious  pupil  of  Vivaldi  was 
Francesco  Maria  Veracini,  who  was  born 
about  1685.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
teacher  of  Tartini,  who,  if  he  did  not  actually 
receive  instruction  from  him,  at  least  profited 
by  his  example. 

Veracini' s  travels  were  extensive,  for  he 
visited  London  in  17 14  and  remained  there 
two  years,  during  which  time  he  was  very 
successful.  He  then  went  to  Dresden,  where 
he  was  made  composer  and  chamber  virtuoso 
to  the  King  of  Poland. 

While  in  Dresden  he  threw  himself  out  of 
a  window  and  broke  his  leg,  an  injury  from 
which  he  never  entirely  recovered.  This  act 
is  said  to  have  been  caused  by  his  mortifica- 
tion at  a  trick  which  was  played  upon  him 
for  his  humiliation  by  Pisendel,  an  eminent 
violinist,  but  this  story  is  discredited  by 
some  of  the  best  authorities. 


i6^o  to  1730.  43 

He  left  Dresden  and  went  to  Prague,  where 
he  entered  the  service  of  Count  Kinsky.  In 
1736  he  again  visited  London,  but  met  with 
little  success,  owing  to  the  fact  that  Gemi- 
niani  had  ingratiated  himself  with  the  public. 
In  1847  Veracini  returned  to  Pisa. 

Veracini  has  been  sometimes  ranked  with 
Tartini  as  a  performer.  He  was  also  a  com- 
poser of  ability.  In  making  a  comparison  of 
him  with  Geminiani  it  has  been  said  that 
Geminiani  was  the  spirit  of  Corelli  much 
diluted,  while  Veracini  was  the  essence  of 
the  great  master  fortified  with  Veau  de  vie. 

Veracini  was  conceited  and  vainglorious, 
and  these  traits  of  his  character  have  given 
rise  to  a  number  of  rather  inconsequential 
stories.  He  was  a  most  excellent  conductor 
of  orchestra,  and  Doctor  Burney  mentions 
having  heard  him  lead  a  band  in  such  a  bold 
and  masterly  manner  as  he  had  never  before 
witnessed.  Soon  after  leaving  London  Vera- 
cini was  shipwrecked,  and  lost  his  two  Stainer 


44  Famous  Violinists. 

violins,  which  he  stated  were  the  best  in  the 
world.  These  instruments  he  named  St. 
Peter  and  St.   Paul. 

The  name  of  Giuseppe  Tartini  will  ever 
live  as  that  of  one  of  the  greatest  performers 
on,  and  composers  for,  the  violin.  Born  at 
Pirano,  in  1692,  his  career  may  be  said  to 
have  commenced  with  the  eighteenth  century. 
He  was  not  only  one  of  the  greatest  violinists 
of  all  time,  and  an  eminent  composer,  but  he 
was  a  scientific  writer  on  musical  physics, 
and  was  the  first  to  discover  the  fact  that, 
in  playing  double  stops,  their  accuracy  can 
be  determined  by  the  production  of  a  third 
sound.  He  also  wrote  a  little  work  on  the 
execution  and  employment  of  the  various 
kinds  of  shakes,  mordents,  cadenzas,  etc., 
according  to  the  usage  of  the  classical 
Italian  school. 

Tartini' s  father,  who  was  an  elected 
Nobile  of  Parenzo,  being  a  pious  Church 
benefactor,  intended  his  son  for  the  Church, 


i6^o  to  iJS^'  45 

and  sent  him  to  an  ecclesiastical  school  at 
Capo  d'Istria,  where  he  received  his  first 
instruction  in  music.  Finding  himself  very 
much  averse  to  an  ecclesiastical  career, 
Tartini  entered  the  University  of  Padua  to 
study  law,  but  this  also  proved  distasteful 
to  him.  He  was  a  youth  of  highly  impul- 
sive temperament,  and  became  so  much 
enamoured  of  the  art  of  fencing  that  he, 
at  one  time,  seriously  contemplated  adopting 
it  as  a  profession.  This  very  impulsive 
nature  caused  him  to  fall  in  love  with  a 
niece  of  the  Archbishop  of  Padua,  to  whom 
he  was  secretly  married  before  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age. 

The  news  of  this  marriage  caused  Tartini's 
parents  to  withdraw  their  support  from  him, 
and  it  so  enraged  the  archbishop  that  the 
bridegroom  was  obliged  to  fly  from  Padua. 
After  some  wanderings  he  was  received  into 
a  monastery  at  Assisi,  of  which  a  relative 
was  an  inmate.     Here  he  resumed  his  mu- 


46  Famous  Violmists. 

sical  studies,  but  though  he  learned  com- 
position of  Padre  Boemo,  the  organist  of 
the  monastery,  he  was  his  own  teacher  on 
the  violin.  The  influence  of  the  quiet  monas- 
tic life  caused  a  complete  change  in  his 
character,  and  he  acquired  the  modesty  of 
manner  and  serenity  of  mind  for  which  he 
was  noted  later  in  life. 

One  day,  during  the  service,  a  gust  of 
wind  blew  aside  the  curtain  behind  which 
Tartini  was  playing,  and  a  Paduan,  who 
remembered  the  archbishop's  wrath  and 
recognised  the  object  of  it,  carried  the 
news  of  his  discovery  to  the  worthy  prelate. 
Time  had,  however,  mollified  him,  and  instead 
of  still  further  persecuting  the  refugee,  he 
gave  his  consent  to  the  union  of  the  young 
couple,  and  Tartini  and  his  wife  went  to 
Venice,  where  he  intended  to  follow  the 
profession  of  a  violinist. 

Here  he  met  and  heard  Francesco  Maria 
Veracini,    who   was    some   seven    years   his 


i6^o  to  I J  SO'  47 

senior,  and  whose  style  of  playing  made 
such  a  deep  impression  on  him  that  he  at 
once  withdrew  to  Ancona,  to  correct  the 
errors  of  his  own  technique,  which,  as  he 
was  self-taught,  were  not  a  few. 

After  some  years  of  study  and  retirement, 
he  reappeared  at  Padua,  where  he  was 
appointed  solo  violinist  in  the  chapel  of 
San  Antonio,  the  choir  and  orchestra  of 
which  already  enjoyed  a  high  reputation. 
It  is  said  that  the  performance  of  Veracini 
had  an  effect  upon  Tartini  beyond  that  of 
causing  him  to  quit  Venice.  It  made  him 
dream,  and  the  dream  as  told  by  Tartini 
himself  to  M.  de  Lalande  is  as  follows : 

"He  dreamed  one  night  (in  171 3)  that 
he  had  made  a  compact  with  the  devil,  who 
promised  to  be  at  his  service  on  all  occa- 
sions ;  and,  during  this  vision,  everything 
succeeded  according  to  his  mind  ;  his  wishes 
were  anticipated,  and  his  desires  always  sur- 
passed, by  the  assistance  of  his  new  servant. 


48  Famous  Violinists. 

In  short,  he  imagined  that  he  presented  the 
devil  with  his  violin,  in  order  to  discover 
what  kind  of  a  musician  he  was,  when,  to 
his  great  astonishment,  he  heard  him  play 
a  solo  so  singularly  beautiful,  which  he  exe- 
cuted with  such  superior  taste  and  precision, 
that  it  surpassed  all  the  music  he  had  ever 
heard  or  conceived  in  his  life.  So  great  was 
his  surprise,  and  so  exquisite  his  delight 
upon  this  occasion,  that  it  deprived  him  of 
the  power  of  breathing.  He  awoke  with  the 
violence  of  his  sensations,  and  instantly 
seized  his  fiddle  in  hopes  of  expressing  what 
he  had  just  heard  ;  but  in  vain.  He,  how- 
ever, directly  composed  a  piece,  which  is 
perhaps  the  best  of  all  his  works,  and  called 
it  the  '  Devil's  Sonata ; '  he  knew  it,  how- 
ever, to  be  so  inferior  to  what  his  sleep  had 
produced,  that  he  stated  he  would  have 
broken  his  instrument,  and  abandoned  music 
for  ever,  if  he  could  have  subsisted  by 
other  means." 


i6^o  to  iJS^'  49 

This  composition  is  said  to  have  secured 
for  him  the  position  in  the  chapel  of  San 
Antonio,  where  he  remained  until  1723,  in 
which  year  he  was  invited  to  play  at  the 
coronation  festivities  of  Charles  VI.  at 
Prague.  On  this  occasion  he  met  Count 
Kin  sky,  a  rich  and  enthusiastic  amateur, 
who  kept  an  excellent  private  orchestra. 
Tartini  was  engaged  as  conductor  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  three  years,  then 
returning  to  his  old  post  at  Padua,  from 
which  nothing  induced  him  to  part,  except 
for  brief  intervals.  At  Padua  Tartini  carried 
on  the  chief  work  of  his  life  and  established 
the  Paduan  school  of  violin  playing.  His 
ability  as  a  teacher  is  proved  by  the  large 
number  of  excellent  pupils  he  formed. 
Nardini,  Bini,  Manfredi,  Ferrari,  Graun,  and 
Lahoussaye  are  among  the  most  eminent, 
and  were  attached  to  him  by  bonds  of  most 
intimate  friendship  to  his  life's  end. 

Tartini's  contemporaries  all  agree  in  credit- 


50  Famous  Violinists. 

ing  him  with  those  quaHties  which  make  a 
great  player.  He  had  a  fine  tone,  unhmited 
command  of  fingerboard  and  bow,  enabling 
him  to  overcome  the  greatest  difficulties 
with  remarkable  ease,  perfect  intonation  in 
double  stops,  and  a  most  brilliant  shake 
and  double-shake,  which  he  executed  equally 
well  with  all  fingers.  The  spirit  of  rivalry 
had  no  place  in  his  amiable  and  gentle  dis- 
position. Both  as  a  player  and  composer 
Tartini  was  the  true  successor  of  Corelli, 
representing  in  both  respects  the  next  step 
in  the  development  of  the  art. 

Tartini  lived  until  the  year  1770.  He  had, 
as  Doctor  Burney  says,  "no  other  children 
than  his  scholars,  of  whom  his  care  was 
constantly  paternal."  Nardini,  his  first  and 
favourite  pupil,  came  from  Leghorn  to  see 
him  in  his  sickness  and  attend  him  in  his 
last  moments  with  true  filial  affection  and 
tenderness.  He  was  buried  in  the  Church 
of    St.   Catharine,   a   solemn    requiem   being 


i6^o  to  17^0.  51 

held  in  the  chapel  of  San  Antonio,  and  at  a 
later  period  his  memory  was  honoured  by  a 
statue  which  was  erected  in  the  Prato  della 
Valle,  a  public  walk  at  Padua,  where  it  may 
be  seen  among  the  statues  of  the  most 
eminent  men  connected  with  that  famous 
university. 

Jean  Marie  Leclair,  a  pupil  of  Somis, 
was  a  Frenchman,  born  at  Lyons,  and  he 
began  life  as  a  dancer  at  the  Rouen  The- 
atre. He  went  to  Turin  as  ballet  master 
and  met  Somis,  who  induced  him  to  take 
up  the  violin  and  apply  himself  to  serious 
study.  On  returning  to  Paris,  he  was  ap- 
pointed ripieno-violinist  at  the  Opera,  and 
in  1 73 1  became  a  member  of  the  royal 
band,  but  he,  although  undoubtedly  su- 
perior to  any  violinist  in  Paris  at  that 
time,  never  seems  to  have  made  much  of  a 
success,  for  he  resigned  his  positions  and 
occupied  himself  exclusively  with  teaching 
and  composition,  and  it  is  on  the  merits  of 


52  Famous  Violinists. 

his  works  that  he  occupies  a  high  place 
among  the  great  classical  masters  of  the 
violin.  Leclair  was  murdered  late  one  night 
close  to  the  door  of  his  own  house,  shortly 
after  his  return  from  Amsterdam,  to  which 
place  he  had  gone  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  Locatelli.  No  motive  for  the  crime 
was  ever  discovered,  nor  was  the  murderer 
found. 

Gaetano  Pugnani  was  a  native  of  Turin, 
and  to  him  more  than  to  any  other  master 
is  due  the  preservation  of  the  pure,  grand 
style  of  Corelli,  Tartini,  and  Vivaldi,  for  he 
combined  the  prominent  qualities  of  style 
and  technique  of  all  three.  He  became 
first  violin  to  the  Sardinian  court  in  1752, 
but  travelled  extensively.  He  made  long 
stays  in  Paris  and  London,  where  he  was 
for  a  time  leader  of  the  opera  band,  and 
produced  an  opera  of  his  own,  also  publish- 
ing a  number  of  his  compositions.  In  1770 
he  was  at  Turin,  where  he  remained  to  the 


1 6 so  to  ly^o.  53 

end   of   his   life    as    teacher,   conductor,  and 
composer. 

Felice  Giardini,  another  pupil  of  Somis, 
was  bom  at  Turin  and  became  one  of  the 
foremost  violinists  in  Europe.  In  1750  he 
went  to  England  where  he  made  his  first 
appearance  at  a  benefit  concert  for  Cuzzoni, 
the  celebrated  opera  singer,  then  in  the  sere 
and  yellow  leaf  of  her  career.  His  perform- 
ance was  so  brilliant  that  he  became  estab- 
lished as  the  best  violinist  who  had  yet 
appeared  in  England,  and  in  1754  he  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  opera  orches- 
tra, succeeding  Festing.  Soon  afterwards 
he  joined  with  the  singer  Mingotti  in  the 
management  of  opera,  but  the  attempt  was 
not  a  financial  success.  Notwithstanding  his 
excellence  as  a  performer  and  composer  and 
the  fine  appointment  which  he  held,  Giardini 
died  in  abject  poverty  at  Moscow,  to  which 
place  he  had  gone  after  finding  himself 
superseded    in    England    by    newcomers. 


54  Famous  Violinists. 

Among  the  pupils  of  Tartini  the  most 
eminent  was  Pietro  Nardini,  who  was  born 
at  Fibiano,  a  village  of  Tuscany,  in  1722. 
He  became  solo  violinist  at  the  court  of 
Stuttgart  and  remained  there  fifteen  years. 
In  1767  he  went  to  Leghorn  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  returned  to  Padua,  where  he 
remained  with  his  old  master  Tartini  until 
the  latter' s  death,  when  he  was  appointed 
director  of  music  to  the  court  of  the  Duke  of 
Tuscany,  in  whose  service  he  remained  many 
years. 

Of  his  playing,  Leopold  Mozart,  himself 
an  eminent  violinist,  writes  :  "  The  beauty, 
purity  and  equality  of  his  tone,  and  the  taste- 
fulness  of  his  cantabile  playing,  cannot  be 
surpassed ;  but  he  does  not  execute  great 
difficulties."  His  compositions  are  marked 
by  vivacity,  grace,  and  sweet  sentimentality, 
but  he  has  neither  the  depth  of  feeling,  the 
grand  pathos,  nor  the  concentrated  energy  of 
his  master  Tartini. 


1 6 so  to  ijso.  55 

Antonio  Lolli,  who  was  born  at  Bergamo 
about  1730,  appears  to  have  been  some- 
what of  a  charlatan.  He  was  self-taught, 
and,  though  a  performer  of  a  good  deal  of 
brilliancy,  was  but  a  poor  musician.  He  was 
restless,  vain,  and  conceited,  and  addicted  to 
gambling.  He  is  said  to  have  played  the 
most  difficult  double-stops,  octaves,  tenths, 
double-shakes  in  thirds  and  sixths,  harmon- 
ics, etc.,  with  the  greatest  ease  and  cer- 
tainty. At  one  time  he  appeared  as  a  rival 
of  Nardini,  with  whom  he  is  said  to  have 
had  a  contest,  and  whom  he  is  supposed  to 
have  defeated.  According  to  some  accounts, 
he  managed  to  excite  such  universal  admira- 
tion in  advance  of  the  contest  that  Nardini 
withdrew. 

Lolli  was  so  eccentric  that  he  was  con- 
sidered by  many  people  to  be  insane,  and 
Doctor  Burney,  in  writing  of  him,  says, 
"  I  am  convinced  that  in  his  lucid  inter- 
vals, he  was  in  a  serious  style  a  very  great, 


56  Famous  Violinists. 

expressive,  and  admirable  performer ; "  but 
Doctor  Burney  does  not  mention  any  lucid 
interval. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  Franz 
Benda  was  born  in  Bohemia  at  the  village  of 
Altbenatky,  and  Benda  became  the  founder 
of  a  German  school  of  violin  playing.  In 
his  youth  he  was  a  chorister  at  Prague  and 
afterward  in  the  Chapel  Royal  at  Dresden. 
At  the  same  time  he  began  to  study  the 
violin,  and  soon  joined  a  company  of  stroll- 
ing musicians  who  attended  fetes,  fairs,  etc. 
At  eighteen  years  of  age  Benda  abandoned 
this  wandering  life  and  returned  to  Prague, 
going  thence  to  Vienna,  where  he  pursued 
his  study  of  the  violin  under  Graun,  a  pupil 
of  Tartini.  After  two  years  he  was  ap- 
pointed chapel  master  at  Warsaw,  and  eventu- 
ally he  became  a  member  of  the  Prince  Royal 
of  Prussia's  band,  and  then  concert  master 
to  the  king. 

Benda  was  a  master  of  all  the  difficulties 


1 6^0  to  ly^o.  57 

of  violin  playing,  and  the  rapidity  of  his 
execution  and  the  mellow  sweetness  of  his 
highest  notes  were  unequalled.  He  had 
many  pupils  and  wrote  a  number  of  works, 
chiefly  exercises  and  studies  for  the  violin. 

A  violinist  whose  career  had  a  great  influ- 
ence on  musical  life  in  England  was  Johann 
Peter  Salomon,  a  pupil  of  Benda,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  speak  of  him  because  his  name 
is  so  frequently  mentioned  in  connection 
with  other  artists  during  the  latter  half  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

Salomon  was  born  at  Bonn  in  the  same 
house  in  which  Beethoven  was  born,  and  of 
Salomon,  after  his  death,  Beethoven  wrote : 
**  Salomon's  death  grieves  me  much,  for  he 
was  a  noble  man,  and  I  remember  him  ever 
since  I  was  a  child." 

Salomon  became  an  expert  violinist  at  an 
early  age,  and  travelled  a  good  deal  in  Eu- 
rope before  he  settled  in  England,  which  was 
in   1 78 1,  when  he  made   his  appearance  at 


58  Famous  Violinists. 

Covent  Garden  Theatre.  He  was  criticised 
thus :  "  He  does  not  play  in  the  most 
graceful  style,  it  must  be  confessed,  but  his 
tone  and  execution  are  such  as  cannot  fail 
to  secure  him  a  number  of  admirers  in  the 
musical  world." 

He  established  a  series  of  subscription 
concerts  at  the  Hanover  Square  rooms,  and 
produced  symphonies  of  Mozart  and  Haydn. 
In  fact,  he  was  connected  with  almost  every 
celebrity  who  appeared  in  England  for  many 
years.  He  was  instrumental  in  bringing 
Haydn  to  England,  and  toward  the  end  of 
his  career  he  was  actively  interested  in  the 
foundation  of  the  Philharmonic  Society.  He 
was  noted  more  as  a  quartet  player  than  as 
a  soloist,  and  Haydn's  last  quartets  were 
composed  especially  to  suit  his  style  of  play- 
ing. He  was  a  man  of  much  cultivation  and 
moved  in  distinguished  society.  His  death 
was  caused  by  a  fall  from  his  horse.  He 
was   the  possessor   of   a   Stradivarius  violin 


i6so  to  ly^o.  59 

which  was  said  to  have  belonged  to  Corelli 
and  to  have  had  his  name  upon  it.  This  he 
bequeathed  to  Sir  Patrick  Blake  of  Bury  St. 
Edmunds. 


CHAPTER    III. 

1750    TO     1800. 

Giovanni  Baptiste  Viotti  has  been 
called  the  last  great  representative  of  the 
classical  Italian  school,  and  it  is  also  stated 
that  with  Viotti  began  the  modern  school  of 
the  violin.  In  whatever  light  he  may  be 
regarded,  he  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
greatest  violinists  of  all.  He  retained  in  his 
style  of  playing  and  composing  the  dignified 
simplicity  and  noble  pathos  of  the  great  mas- 
ters of  the  Italian  school,  treating  his  instru- 
ment above  all  as  a  singing  voice,  and  keeping 
strictly  within  its  natural  resources.  Accord- 
ing to  Baillot,  one  of  his  most  distinguished 
pupils,  his  style  was  "  perfection,"  a  word 
which  covers  a  host  of  virtues. 

60 


i^jO  to  1800.  61 

Viotti  was  born  in  1753  at  Fontanetto,  a 
village  in  Piedmont.  His  first  musical  in- 
struction was  received  from  his  father,  who 
is  severally  mentioned  as  a  blacksmith  and 
as  a  horn  player.  His  musical  talent  being 
early  noticeable,  he  was  sent  to  Turin  and 
placed  by  Prince  Pozzo  de  la  Cisterna  under 
the  tutelage  of  Pugnani,  and  was  soon  re- 
ceived into  the  royal  band.  In  1780  he 
travelled  extensively,  visiting  Germany,  Po- 
land, and  Russia,  and  meeting  with  great 
success.  The  Empress  Catharine  endeav- 
oured to  induce  him  to  remain  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, but  without  success,  and  he  proceeded 
to  London,  where  he  soon  eclipsed  all  other 
violinists.  In  1782  he  went  to  Paris  and 
made  his  debut  at  the  celebrated  Concert 
Spirituels.  He  was  at  once  acknowledged 
as  the  greatest  living  violinist,  but  soon  after 
this  he  ceased  altogether  to  play  in  public. 
This  decision  seems  to  have  been  caused  by 
the  fact  that  an  inferior  player  once  achieved 


62  Famous  Violinists, 

a  greater  success  than  he.  He  was  evidently 
of  a  sensitive  nature,  and  there  is  an  anecdote 
told  of  him  which  is  amusing  even  if  its 
authenticity  is  open  to  question.  Viotti  was 
commanded  to  play  a  concerto  at  the  Court 
of  Louis  XVL,  at  Versailles,  and  had  pro- 
ceeded through  about  half  of  his  perform- 
ance, when  the  attention  of  the  audience 
was  diverted  by  the  arrival  of  a  distinguished 
guest.  Noise  and  confusion  reigned  where 
silence  should  have  been  observed,  and  Viotti, 
in  a  fit  of  indignation,  removed  the  music 
from  the  desk  and  left  the  platform. 

In  1783  Viotti  returned  to  Italy  for  a 
short  time,  but  the  following  year  he  was 
back  in  Paris  teaching,  composing,  and  bene- 
fiting the  art  of  music  in  every  way  except 
by  public  performance.  He  became  the 
artistic  manager  of  the  Italian  Opera,  and 
brought  together  a  brilliant  number  of  singers. 
In  this  business  he  came  in  contact  with 
Cherubini,  the  composer,  with  whom  he  was 


ly^o  to  1800.  63 

on  great  terms  of  friendship.  This  enter- 
prise was  suddenly  stopped  by  the  revolution, 
and  Viotti  was  obliged  to  leave  France, 
having  lost  almost  everything  that  he  pos- 
sessed. 

He  went  to  London  and  renewed  his 
former  successes,  playing  again  in  public  at 
Salomon's  concerts,  and  in  the  drawing-rooms 
of  the  aristocracy.  But  here  his  ill-luck 
followed  him,  for  London  being  full  of  French 
refugees,  and  the  officials  being  suspicious  of 
them  all,  he  was  warned  to  leave  England,  as 
it  was  feared  that  he  was  connected  with 
some  political  conspiracy. 

This  misfortune  occurred  in  1798,  and 
Viotti  retired  to  a  small  village  called  Schoen- 
feld,  not  far  from  Hamburg,  where  he  lived 
in  strict  seclusion.  During  this  time  he 
was  by  no  means  idle,  for  he  composed  some 
of  his  finest  works,  notably  the  six  duets  for 
violins,  which  he  prefaced  by  these  words : 
"  This  book  is  the  fruit  of  leisure  afforded  me 


64  Famous  Violinists. 

by  misfortune.  Some  of  the  pieces  were 
dictated  by  trouble,  others  by  hope."  It  was 
also  during  this  period  of  retirement  that  he 
perfected  his  pupil  Pixis,  who,  with  his  father, 
lived  at  Schoenfeld  a  whole  summer  for  the 
express  purpose  of  receiving  Viotti's  instruc- 
tion. 

In  1 80 1  Viotti  found  himself  at  liberty  to 
visit  England  once  more,  but  when  he  re- 
turned he  astonished  the  world  by  going  into 
the  wine  business,  in  which  he  succeeded  in 
getting  rid  of  the  remainder  of  his  fortune. 
As  a  man  of  business  the  strictest  integ- 
rity and  honour  regulated  his  transactions, 
and  his  feelings  were  kind  and  benevolent, 
whilst  as  a  musician,  he  is  said  never  to  have 
been  surpassed  in  any  of  the  highest  qualities 
of  violin  playing. 

At  the  close  of  his  career  as  a  wine  mer- 
chant, he  returned  to  Paris  to  resume  his 
regular  profession,  and  was  appointed  director 
of  the  Grand  Op6ra,  but  he  failed  to  rescue 


//JO  to  1800,  65 

the  opera  from  its  state  of  decadence,  and, 
finding  the  duties  too  arduous  for  one  of  his 
age  and  state  of  health,  he  retired  on  a  small 
pension.  In  1822  he  returned  once  more  to 
England,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  life  in  quietude. 

While  travelling  in  Switzerland,  and  enjoy- 
ing the  beauties  of  the  scenery,  Viotti  heard 
for  the  first  time  the  plaintive  notes  of  the 
Ranz  des  Vaches  given  forth  by  a  mountain 
horn,  and  this  melody  so  impressed  him  that 
he  learned  it  and  frequently  played  it  on  his 
violin.  The  subject  was  referred  to  by  him 
with  great  enthusiasm  in  his  letters  to  his 
friends. 

There  are  numerous  anecdotes  about  Viotti 
in  reference  to  his  ready  repartee  and  to  his 
generous  nature.  One  of  the  most  interest- 
ing is  that  concerning  a  tin  violin.  He  had 
been  strolling  one  evening  on  the  Champs 
Elysees,  in  Paris,  with  a  friend  (Langle),  when 
his  attention  was    arrested    by   some  harsh. 


66  Famous  Violinists. 

discordant  sounds,  which,  on  investigation, 
proved  to  be  the  tones  of  a  tin  fiddle,  played 
by  a  blind  and  aged  street  musician.  Viotti 
offered  the  man  twenty  francs  for  the  curious 
instrument,  which  had  been  made  by  the  old 
man's  nephew,  who  was  a  tinker.  Viotti 
took  the  instrument  and  played  upon  it,  pro- 
ducing some  most  remarkable  effects.  The 
performance  drew  a  small  crowd,  and  Langl6, 
with  true  instinct,  took  the  old  man's  hat  and, 
passing  it  round,  collected  a  respectable  sum, 
which  was  handed  to  the  aged  beggar. 

When  Viotti  got  out  his  purse  to  give  the 
twenty  francs  the  old  man  thought  better  of 
his  bargain,  for,  said  he,  "  I  did  not  know  the 
violin  was  so  good.  I  ought  to  have  at  least 
double  the  amount  for  it." 

Viotti,  pleased  with  the  implied  compli- 
ment, did  not  hesitate  to  give  the  forty  francs, 
and  then  walked  off  with  his  newly  acquired 
curiosity.  The  nephew,  however,  who 
now  arrived  to  take  the  old  man  home,  on 


ij^o  to  j8oo.  67 

hearing  the  story  ran  after  Viotti,  and  offered 
to  supply  him  with  as  many  as  he  would  like 
for  six  francs  apiece. 

Violin  literature  owes  much  to  Viotti,  for 
his  compositions  are  numerous  and  contain 
beauties  that  have  never  been  surpassed. 
His  advice  was  sought  by  many  young  musi- 
cians, and  among  these  was  Rossini,  who  was 
destined  to  become  great.  De  Beriot  also 
sought  out  Viotti  and  played  before  him,  but 
the  old  violinist  told  him  that  he  had  already 
acquired  an  original  style  which  only  re- 
quired cultivating  to  lead  to  success,  and  that 
he  could  do  nothing  for  him. 

Viotti  was  one  of  the  first  to  use  the 
Tourte  bow,  and  he  studied  its  effects  closely, 
so  that  the  sweep  of  his  bow  became  his 
great  characteristic,  and  was  alike  the  ad- 
miration of  his  friends  and  the  despair  of 
his  rivals.  He  died  in  1824,  after  about 
two  years  of  retirement. 

Among   Viotti' s   most    prominent    pupils 


68  Famous  Violinists. 

were  Roberrechts,  Pixis,  Alday  le  jeune, 
Cartier,  Rode,  Mori,  Durand,  and  Baillot, 
also  Mile.  Gerbini  and  Madame  Paravicini. 
Roberrechts  became  the  teacher  of  De  Be- 
riot,  who  in  turn  taught  Vieuxtemps,  Teresa 
Milanollo,  and  Lauterbach.  Baillot  taught 
Habeneck,  who  taught  Alard,  Leonard, 
Prume,  Cuvillon,  and  Mazas.  From  Alard 
we  have  Sarasate,  and  from  Leonard,  Mar- 
sick  and  Dengremont,  while  through  Rode 
we  have  Bohm,  and  from  him  a  large 
number  of  eminent  violinists,  including  G. 
Hellmesberger,  Ernst,  Dont,  Singer,  L. 
Strauss,  Joachim,  Rappoldi.  Some  of  them 
we  shall  refer  to  at  length  as  great  perform- 
ers, others  were  celebrated  more  as  teachers. 
Rodolphe  Kreutzer,  who  was  born  at  Ver- 
sailles in  1766,  is  the  third  in  order  of  de- 
velopment of  the  four  great  representative 
masters  of  the  classical  violin  school  of 
Paris ;  the  others  being  Viotti,  first.  Rode, 
second,  and  Baillot,  fourth.     With  Baillot  he 


Jj^o  to  1800.  69 

compiled  the  famous  ''  Methode  de  Violon  " 
for  the  use  of  the  students  at  the  Con- 
servatoire. Kreutzer's  first  teacher  was  his 
father,  who  was  a  musician  in  the  king's 
chapel,  but  he  was  soon  placed  under  Anton 
Stamitz,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
played  a  concerto  in  public,  with  great  suc- 
cess. This  is  said  by  some  writers  to  have 
been  his  own  composition,  though  by  others 
it  was  attributed  to  his  teacher. 

Kreutzer  made  a  tour  through  the  north 
of  Italy,  Germany,  and  Holland,  during  which 
he  acquired  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  first  violinists  in  Europe.  On  his  return 
to  Paris,  he  turned  his  attention  to  dramatic 
music,  and  composed  two  grand  operas, 
which  were  performed  before  the  court,  and 
secured  for  him  the  patronage  of  Marie 
Antoinette.  He  also  became  first  violin 
at  the  Opera  Comique,  and  professor  at  the 
Conservatoire,  where  he  formed  some  ex- 
cellent pupils,  among  them   being  D'Artot, 


JO  Famous  Violinists. 

Rovelli,  the  teacher  of  Molique,  Massart, 
the  teacher  of  Wieniawski  and  Teresina  Tua, 
and  Lafont,  who  also  became  a  pupil  of  De 
B^riot.  On  Rode's  departure  for  Russia, 
Kreutzer  succeeded  him  as  solo  violin  at 
the  Opera,  later  becoming  Chef  d'Orchestre, 
and  after  fourteen  years'  service  in  this 
capacity  he  was  decorated  with  the  insignia 
of  the  Legion  of  Honour,  and  became  Gen- 
eral Director  of  the  Music  at  the  Opera. 
In  1826  he  resigned  his  post  and  retired 
to  Geneva,  where  he  died  in  1831.  Kreut- 
zer was  a  prolific  composer,  and  his  com- 
positions include  forty  dramatic  works  and 
a  great  number  of  pieces  for  the  violin. 

In  1798,  when  Kreutzer  was  at  Vienna 
in  the  service  of  the  French  ambassador, 
Bernadotte,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Beethoven,  and  was  afterwards  honoured  by 
that  great  composer  with  the  dedication  to 
him  of  the  famous  Sonata,  Op.  47,  which 
was  first  played  by  Beethoven  and  the  vio- 


ly^o  to  t8oo.  71 

linist  Bridgetower,  at  the  Augarten,  in  May, 
1803,  either  the  17th  or  the  24th.  This 
is  the  sonata  the  name  of  which  Count  Leo 
Tolstoi  took  for  his  famous  book,  though  to 
the  vast  majority  of  hearers  it  will  always 
remain  a  mystery  how  the  classical  har- 
monies of  the  sonata  could  have  aroused  the 
passions  which  form  the  raison  d'etre  of 
the  book. 

Kreutzer  was  noted  for  his  style  of  bow- 
ing, his  splendid  tone,  and  the  clearness  of 
his  execution. 

With  three  such  masters  as  Baillot,  Rode, 
and  Kreutzer,  besides  Viotti,  who  was  fre- 
quently in  Paris,  the  French  school  of  violin 
playing  had  now  superseded  the  Italian. 

Pierre  Marie  Francois  de  Sales  Baillot, 
who  was  associated  with  Rode  and  Kreut- 
zer in  the  compilation  of  the  celebrated 
"  Methode  du  Violon,"  was  born  at  Passy, 
near  Paris,  in  1771,  and  became  one  of  the 
most    excellent   violinists    that   France  ever 


72  Famotis  Violinists. 

produced.  His  eminence  in  his  profession 
was  not  obtained  without  a  long  struggle 
against  great  difficulties,  for  at  the  age  of 
twelve  he  lost  his  father,  who  had  kept  a 
school,  and  became  dependent  upon  friends 
for  his  education.  His  musical  talent  was 
remarkable  at  an  early  age,  and  he  re- 
ceived his  first  instruction  from  an  Italian 
named  Polidori.  At  the  age  of  nine  he  was 
placed  under  a  French  teacher  named  Sainte- 
Marie,  whose  training  gave  him  the  severe 
state  and  methodical  qualities  by  which  his 
playing  was  always  distinguished. 

His  love  for  his  instrument  was  greatly 
augmented  when,  at  the  age  of  ten,  he  heard 
Viotti  play  one  of  his  concertos,  and  from 
that  day  the  great  violinist  became  his 
model. 

When  his  father  died  a  year  or  two  later, 
a  government  official,  M.  de  Boucheporn, 
sent  him,  with  his  own  children,  to  Rome, 
where  he  was  placed  with  Pollani,  a  pupil  of 


7750  to  1800.  73 

Nardini,  under  whom  he  made  rapid  progress, 
and  soon  began  to  play  in  public.  He  was, 
however,  unable  to  follow  directly  in  the 
path  of  his  profession,  and  for  five  years  he 
travelled  with  his  benefactor,  acting  as  pri- 
vate secretary,  and  securing  but  little  time 
for  his  violin  playing. 

In  1 79 1  he  returned  to  Paris,  and  Viotti 
secured  a  place  for  him  in  the  opera  orches- 
tra, but  on  being  offered  a  position  in  the 
Ministere  des  Finances,  he  gave  up  his 
operatic  work,  and  for  some  years  devoted 
only  his  leisure  to  the  study  of  the  violin. 
He  now  had  to  serve  with  the  army  for 
twenty  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
once  more  determined  to  take  up  music  as 
a  profession,  and  soon  appeared  in  public 
with  a  concerto  of  Viotti.  This  perform- 
ance established  his  reputation,  and  he  was 
offered  a  professorship  of  violin  playing  at 
the  Conservatoire,  then  recently  opened. 

His  next  appointment  was  to  the  private 


74  Famous  Violinists. 

band  of  Napoleon,  after  which  he  travelled 
for  three  years  in  Russia  with  the  violoncello 
player  Lemare,  earning  great  fame. 

Returning  to  Paris,  he  established  concerts 
for  chamber  music,  which  proved  successful, 
and  built  up  for  him  a  reputation  as  an 
unrivalled  quartet  player.  He  travelled 
again,  visiting  Holland,  Belgium,  and  Eng- 
land, and  then  he  became  leader  of  the 
opera  band  in  Paris  and  of  the  royal  band. 
He  made  a  final  tour  in  Switzerland  in  1833, 
and  died  in    1842. 

Baillot  is  considered  to  have  been  the 
last  distinguished  representative  of  the  great 
classical  school  of  violin  playing  in  Paris. 
In  his  "  L'Art  du  Violon "  he  points  out 
the  chief  distinction  between  the  old  and 
the  modern  style  of  violin  playing  to  be  the 
absence  of  the  dramatic  element  in  the 
former,  and  its  predominance  in  the  latter, 
thus  enabling  the  executive  art  to  follow  the 
progress  marked  out  by  the  composer,  and 


7 /JO  to  t8oo.  75 

to  bring  out  the  powerful  contrasts  and  en- 
larged ideas  of  the  modern  musical  compo- 
sitions. After  the  time  of  Baillot  and  his 
contemporaries  the  style  of  Paganini  be- 
came predominant  in  Paris,  but  the  influence 
of  the  Paris  school  extended  to  Germany, 
where  Spohr  must  be  considered  the  direct 
descendant  artistically  of  Viotti  and  Rode. 
Perhaps  the  most  illustrious  pupil  of 
Viotti  was  Pierre  Rode,  who  was  born  at 
Bordeaux  in  1774,  and  exhibited  such  excep- 
tional talent  that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
was  one  of  the  violins  at  the  Theatre  Fey- 
deau  in  Paris.  He  had  made  his  debut  in  Paris 
at  the  Theatre  de  Monsieur,  when  he  played 
Viotti's  thirteenth  concerto  with  complete 
success.  In  1794  he  began  to  travel,  and 
made  a  tour  through  Holland  and  North 
Germany,  visiting  England,  driven  there  by 
stress  of  weather,  on  his  way  home.  He 
appeared  once  in  London,  and  then  left  for 
Holland  and  Germany  again.     On  his  return 


'j^  Famous  Violinists. 

to  France  he  was  appointed  professor  of  the 
violin  at  the  Conservatoire,  then  newly  estab- 
lished. In  1799  he  made  a  trip  to  Spain, 
where  he  met  Boccherini.  The  following 
year  he  returned  to  Paris,  where  he  was  made 
solo  violinist  to  the  First  Consul,  and  it  was 
at  this  period  that  he  gained  his  greatest 
success,  when  he  played  with  Kreutzer  a 
duo  concertante  of  the  latter's  composition. 
After  this  he  went  to  Russia,  where  he  was 
enthusiastically  received,  and  was  appointed 
one  of  the  emperor's  musicians.  The  life  in 
Russia,  however,  overtaxing  his  strength, 
from  that  time  his  powers  began  to  fail, 
and  he  met  with  many  disappointments.  In 
1 814  he  married,  and,  although  he  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  renew  his  public 
career,  he  may  be  said  to  have  retired.  He 
died  at  Bordeaux  in  1830. 

Of  Rode's  playing  in  his  best  days  we  are 
told  that  he  displayed  all  the  best  qualities  of 
a  grand,  nob3i^,  pure,  and  thoroughly  musical 


//JO  to  1800.  y7 

style.  His  intonation  was  perfect,  his  tone 
large  and  pure,  and  boldness,  vigour,  deep 
and  tender  feeling  characterised  his  per- 
formances. In  fact  he  was  no  mere  virtuoso 
but  a  true  artist.  His  musical  nature  shows 
itself  in  his  compositions,  which  are  thor- 
oughly suited  to  the  nature  of  the  violin,  and 
have  a  noble,  dignified  character  and  consid- 
erable charm  of  melody,  though  they  show 
only  moderate  creative  power.  He  had  few 
pupils,  but  his  influence  through  his  example 
during  his  travels,  and  through  his  composi- 
tions, was  very  great  indeed. 

Beethoven  wrote  for  Rode,  after  hearing 
him  play  in  Vienna,  the  famous  violin  Ro- 
mance in  F,  Op.  50,  one  of  the  highest  pos- 
sible testimonials  to  Rode's  ability  as  a 
violinist.  It  is  known,  however,  that  he 
was  obliged  to  seek  assistance  in  scoring  his 
own  compositions,  and  therefore  lacked  an 
important  part  of  a  musical  education. 

The  most  celebrated  pupil  of  Baillot  was 


yS  Famous  Violinists. 

Francois  Antoine  Habeneck,  the  son  of  a 
musician  in  a  French  regimental  band. 
During  his  early  youth  Habeneck  was 
taught  by  his  father,  and  at  the  age  of  ten 
played  concertos  in  public.  He  visited  many 
places  with  his  father's  regiment,  which  was 
finally  stationed  at  Brest.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he  went  to  Paris  and  entered  the 
Conservatoire,  where  in  1 804  he  was  awarded 
first  prize  for  violin  playing,  and  became  a 
sub-professor. 

The  Empress  Josephine,  on  hearing  him 
play,  was  so  pleased  that  she  granted  him  a 
pension  of  twelve  hundred  francs.  He  be- 
came one  of  the  first  violins  at  the  Opera,  but 
his  special  forte  was  as  leader  of  orchestras, 
and  he  held  that  post  at  the  Conservatoire, 
on  account  of  his  efficiency,  until  181 5,  when 
the  advent  of  the  allied  armies  caused  it  to 
be  closed. 

Habeneck  was  instrumental  in  bringing 
forward  the  great  orchestral  works  of  Bee- 


IJS^  to  1800.  79 

thoven.  He  became  director  of  the  Grand 
Op^ra,  and  inspector  -  general  of  the  Con- 
servatoire. 

Habeneck  is  said  to  have  been  greatly 
addicted  to  taking  snuff,  and  this  habit  led 
to  an  amusing  episode  with  Berlioz,  which 
the  latter  regarded  in  a  very  unfriendly  light. 
At  a  public  performance  of  the  Requiem  of 
Berlioz,  the  composer  had  arranged  with 
Habeneck  to  conduct  the  music,  Berlioz 
taking  his  seat  close  behind  the  conductor. 
The  work  was  commenced,  and  had  been 
proceeded  with  some  little  time,  when  Habe- 
neck (presumably  taking  advantage  of  what 
seemed  to  him  a  favourable  moment)  placed 
his  baton  on  the  desk,  took  out  his  snuff- 
box, and  proceeded  to  take  a  pinch.  Berlioz, 
aware  of  the  breakers  ahead,  rushed  to  the 
helm  and  saved  the  wreck  of  his  composition 
by  beating  time  with  his  arm.  Habeneck, 
when  the  danger  was  passed,  said,  ''  What 
a  cold  perspiration  I  was  in  !     Without  you 


8o  Famotis  Violinists. 

we  should  assuredly  have  been  lost."  "  Yes," 
said  the  composer,  ''  I  know  it  well,"  accom- 
panying his  words  with  an  expression  of 
countenance  betokening  suspicion  of  Habe- 
neck's  honesty  of  purpose.  The  violinist 
little  dreamed  that  this  gratification  of  his 
weakness  for  snuff-taking  would  be  regarded 
in  the  pages  of  Berlioz's  Memoirs  as  having 
been  indulged  in  from  base  motives. 

Habeneck  died  in  1849.  He  published 
only  a  few  of  his  compositions. 

One  of  the  most  eminent  violinists  of  the 
French  school,  who  flourished  during  the 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  was 
Charles  Philippe  Lafont.  Besides  brilliant 
technical  capabilities  he  had  a  sympathetic 
tone  and  a  most  elegant  style,  and  these 
qualities  gave  him  a  very  high  position  in 
the  ranks  of  performers. 

Lafont  was  born  at  Paris,  December  7, 
1 78 1,  and  received  his  first  lessons  from  his 
mother,  who  afterward  placed  him  under  her 


ij^o  to  1800.  81 

brother,  Berthaume.  Under  his  care  he 
made  a  successful  concert  tour  through 
Germany  and  other  countries  as  early  as 
1792,  after  which  he  returned  to  Paris 
and  settled  down  to  study  under  Rudolf 
Kreutzer. 

For  a  time  his  studies  were  interrupted 
by  an  attempt  to  become  a  singer,  and  he 
appeared  at  the  Theatre  Feydeau,  which  had 
then  been  opened  by  Viotti.  This  diversion 
being  soon  at  an  end,  he  returned  to  the  vio- 
lin, but  on  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution 
in  France  he  left  the  country  and  travelled 
throughout  Europe,  being  absent  from  Paris, 
with  the  exception  of  a  short  visit  in  1805, 
until  1 81 5. 

During  his  travels  he  was  made  chamber 
virtuoso  to  the  Czar  Alexander,  and  on  his 
return  to  France  he  became  first  violinist 
of  the  royal  chamber  musicians  of  Louis 
XVIII. ,  and  musical  accompanist  to  the 
Duchesse  de   Berry. 


82  Famous  Violinists. 

Lafont's  career  came  to  a  sudden  end  by 
the  overturning  of  a  carriage  while  on  a 
concert    tour   in    the    south    of    France    in 

1839. 

He  was  one  of  the  numerous  vioHnists 
who  challenged  Paganini  to  an  artistic  duel, 
in  which  he  got  the  worst  of  it,  though  his 
admirers  accounted  for  his  defeat  by  the  fact 
that  the  contest  took  place  at  La  Scala,  in 
Milan,  where  the  sympathy  of  the  audience 
was  in  favour  of  the  Italian  virtuoso. 

Lafont  was  a  prolific  composer,  but  few  of 
his  works  have  survived.  He  was  also  the 
owner  of  a  magnificent  Guarnerius  violin, 
which  is  now  said  to  be  the  property  of 
Adolf  Brodsky. 

As  a  composer  Spohr  probably  influenced 
the  modern  style  of  violin  playing  even  more 
than  as  a  player,  for  he  lifted  the  concerto  to 
the  dignity  of  a  work  of  art,  whereas  it  had 
formerly  been  simply  a  show  piece,  though 
not  always  without  merit.     He  set   a   great 


ij^o  to  1800.  83 

example  of  purity  of  style  and  legitimate 
treatment  of  the  instrument,  and  is  consid- 
ered to  have  had  a  more  beneficial  effect 
on  violin  playing  than  Paganini,  who  was  born 
in  the  same  year,  1 784. 

Louis  Spohr  was  the  son  of  a  physician, 
who,  two  years  after  Louis  was  born  at 
Brunswick,  took  up  his  residence  at  Seesen, 
where  the  childhood  of  the  future  virtuoso 
was  passed.  Both  father  and  mother  were 
musical,  the  former  playing  the  flute,  while 
the  latter  was  a  pianist  and  singer.  It  is 
said  that  young  Spohr  showed  his  talents 
remarkably  early,  and  was  able  to  sing  duets 
with  his  mother  when  only  four  years  of  age. 
At  five  he  began  to  learn  the  violin  and  at 
six  he  could  take  part  in  Kalkbrenner's  trios. 
He  also  began  to  compose  music,  and  under 
his  father's  methodical  guidance  acquired  the 
habit  of  finishing  everything  that  he  began 
to  write,  without  erasure  or  alteration.  His 
instruction    in    the   art    of    composition   was 


84  Famous  Violmists. 

confined  to  the  mere  rudiments,  and  he 
acquired  the  art  chiefly  by  studying  the 
scores  of  the  great  composers. 

Spohr's  first  public  appearance  was  at  a 
school  concert,  and  such  was  his  success  that 
he  was  asked  to  repeat  the  performance  at 
a  concert  given  by  the  duke's  band.  More 
study  ensued,  and  then,  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, he  undertook  to  make  his  first  artistic 
tour,  and  set  out  for  Hamburg,  carrying  with 
him  some  letters  of  introduction. 

It  seems  that  the  people  of  Hamburg  did 
not  show  much  enthusiasm  over  the  young 
artist,  for  he  was  unable  to  arrange  a  hearing, 
and,  having  exhausted  his  funds,  he  returned 
to  Brunswick  in  the  time-honoured  manner  of 
unsuccessful  artists,  —  on  foot.  Spohr's  ex- 
perience seems  to  have  produced  upon  him 
the  same  effect  that  many  aspiring  young 
players  have  since  felt,  viz.,  that  he  had 
better  go  on  with  his  studies.  He  accord- 
ingly presented   a  petition  to  the  Duke  of 


ijS^  /^  J 800.  85 

Brunswick  asking  for  means  to  carry  out  his 
desires.  The  duke  was  pleased  with  hini, 
and  not  only  gave  him  a  place  in  his  band, 
but  also  agreed  to  pay  his  expenses  while  he 
studied  with  one  of  the  most  eminent  teach- 
ers of  the  day. 

Neither  Viotti  nor  Ferdinand  Eck  could 
receive  him  as  a  pupil,  but  by  the  advice  of 
the  latter,  young  Spohr  was  placed  under  his 
brother,  Franz  Eck,  who  was  then  travelling 
in  Germany.  With  Franz  Eck  an  agreement 
was  made  by  the  duke,  under  which  Spohr 
should  travel  with  him,  and  study  €7i  route. 
During  the  continuance  of  this  agreement 
Spohr  practised  sometimes  ten  hours  a  day, 
and  being  so  constantly  with  his  teacher  he 
made  great  progress.  On  his  return  to 
Brunswick  he  was  appointed  first  violinist 
in  the  duke's  band,  and  the  follov^'ing  year  he 
once  more  undertook  a  concert  tour  on  his 
own  account,  travelling  through  Saxony  and 
Prussia,  and  meeting  with  great  enthusiasm. 


S6  Famous  Violinists. 

While  in  Russia  he  met  Clementi  and 
Field,  and  he  was  presented  with  a  most 
valuable  Guarnerius  violin  by  an  enthusiast. 
This  instrument  he  lost  while  on  the  way  to 
France,  where  he  intended  to  make  a  concert 
tour.  Just  before  entering  Gottingen  the 
portmanteau  which  contained  the  violin  was 
taken  from  the  coach,  and  owing  to  the 
delays  of  officialism  it  was  never  recovered. 
The  thieves  had  been  seen  with  the  booty  in 
their  possession,  but  m  order  to  arrest  them 
it  was  necessary  to  travel  some  nine  miles 
for  the  necessary  warrant  and  officer.  In 
the  meantime  they  had  disappeared,  as 
thieves  occasionally  do. 

In  1805  Spohr  was  appointed  concert- 
master  in  the  band  of  the  Duke  of  Gotha, 
and  while  holding  this  position  he  met, 
wooed,  and  wedded  the  Fraulein  Dorothea 
Scheidler,  an  excellent  harp  player,  who  for 
many  years  afterwards  appeared  with  him  in 
aU   his    concerts,   and    for   whom    he    wrote 


//JO  to  1800.  87 

many  solo  pieces  as  well  as  some  sonatas  for 
violin  and  harp.  In  view  of  this  important 
step  the  following  description  of  Spohr's 
personal  appearance  may  be  interesting : 
"The  front  of  Jove  himself  is  expressed  in 
the  expansive  forehead,  massive,  high,  and 
broad ;  the  speaking  eyes  that  glance  stead- 
fastly and  clearly  under  the  finely  pencilled 
arches  of  the  eyebrows,  which  add  a  new 
grace  to  their  lustrous  fire  ;  the  long,  straight 
nose  with  sharply  curved  nostrils,  imperial 
with  the  pride  of  sensibility  and  spiritual 
power ;  the  firm,  handsome  mouth,  and  the 
powerful  chin,  with  its  strong  outlines  melted 
into  the  utter  grace  of  oval  curves.  In  its 
calmness  and  repose,  in  its  subdued  strength 
and  pervading  serenity,  it  is  the  picture  of 
the  man's  life  in  little."  Spohr  seems  to 
have  been  somewhat  attractive. 

Another  authority  tells  us,  in  less  flowery 
language,  that  he  was  of  herculean  frame  and 
very  strong  constitution. 


88  Famous  Violinists. 

In  1807  he  made  a  tour,  with  his  wife, 
through  Germany,  and  while  at  Munich  the 
king  showed  his  gallantry  to  Madame  Spohr 
in  a  most  gracious  manner.  The  usher  had 
neglected  to  place  a  chair  on  the  platform 
for  her,  and  the  king  handed  up  his  own 
gilded  throne  chair,  in  spite  of  her  protesta- 
tions. The  anecdote  would  be  more  satis- 
factory if  it  stated  what  the  king  sat  upon 
during  the  concert,  but  that  is  left  to  the 
imagination.  The  king  had  some  bad  habits, 
and,  we  are  told,  was  very  fond  of  playing 
cards  during  the  concerts.  Spohr  was  not 
accustomed  to  having  his  audiences  indulge 
in  cards,  and  so  informed  the  chamberlain, 
absolutely  declining  to  play  unless  the  cards 
were  put  aside  for  the  time  being.  It  was 
a  delicate  task  that  fell  to  the  lot  of  the 
chamberlain,  but  he  carried  it  through  with 
the  greatest  diplomacy,  each  side  making 
a  slight  concession  :  the  king  on  his  part 
promising  to  abstain  from  card  playing  during 


//JO  to  t8oo.  89 

Spohr's  performance  on  condition  that  the 
violinist's  two  pieces  should  immediately 
follow  each  other  on  the  program,  and  Spohr 
withdrawing  his  embargo  from  the  whole 
concert  on  condition  that  the  king  would 
abstain  from  his  favourite  amusement  during 
his  particular  performance.  The  king,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  put  in  the  last  blow,  for 
on  the  conclusion  of  the  violin  solos  he  gave 
no  signal  for  applause,  and  as  it  would  be 
a  breach  of  court  manners  for  any  one  to 
applaud  without  his  Majesty's  consent,  the 
artist  was  obliged  to  make  his  bow  and  retire 
amidst  deathly  silence. 

In  1808  Spohr  wrote  his  first  opera,  but 
although  it  was  accepted  for  representation, 
it  was  never  performed  in  public. 

During  this  year  Napoleon  held  his  cele- 
brated congress  of  princes  at  Erfurt.  Spohr 
was  consumed  by  a  burning  desire  to  behold 
Napoleon  and  the  surrounding  princes,  and 
went   to    Erfurt.       Here    he   found    that   a 


90  Famous  Violinists. 

French  theatrical  troupe  was  performing 
every  evening  before  the  august  assembly, 
but  only  the  privileged  few  could  by  any 
possibility  gain  admittance  to  the  theatre. 
Spohr's  ingenuity  was  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency, and  making  friends  with  the  second 
horn  player,  he  induced  that  artist  to  allow 
him  to  substitute  for  him  one  night.  Spohr 
had  never  in  his  life  attempted  to  play  the 
horn,  but  it  was  now  necessary  for  him  to 
acquire  the  art  before  night,  and  he  set  to 
work  with  such  vim  that  by  the  time  of  the 
performance  his  lips  were  swollen  and  black, 
but  he  was  able  to  produce  the  requisite 
tones.  The  orchestra  having  received  strict 
injunctions  to  sit  with  their  backs  to  the 
brilliant  assembly,  probably  to  protect  their 
eyesight  from  its  dazzling  effects,  Spohr 
fitted  himself  out  with  a  small  mirror,  and 
placing  this  upon  his  music-rack,  he  was 
able  to  enjoy  for  a  couple  of  hours  the  vision 
of  the  great  Napoleon,  who,  with  his  most 


//JO  to  1800.  91 

distinguished  guests,  occupied  the  front  row 
of  the  stalls. 

Spohr  remained  at  Gotha  until  181 3,  when 
he  was  offered  and  accepted  the  post  of  the 
leadership   at  the  Theatre  an   der  Wien  at 
Vienna,   and   while    here    he    composed    his 
opera  of  "  Faust,"  which,  however,  was  not 
produced    at    that    time.     He  also  wrote   a 
cantata  in  celebration  of  the  battle  of  Leip- 
zig, which  he  did  not  succeed  in  producing, 
and  not  feeling  satisfied  with   his   position, 
and  having  various  disagreements  with  the 
management,  the  engagement  was  cancelled 
by    mutual    consent.       During   his    stay    in 
Vienna    Spohr    was    frequently    in    contact 
with  Beethoven,  and  though  he  admired  that 
great  master  he  criticised  some  of  his  com- 
positions very  severely,  and  is  said  to  have 
remarked  that  "  Beethoven  was  wanting  in 
aesthetic   culture   and    sense    of    beauty,"   a 
remark  difficult  to  understand  in  these  later 
days.     It  is  the  more  incomprehensible  from 


92  Famous  Violinists. 

the  fact  that  Spohr  in  after  years  was  the 
very  first  musician  of  eminence  to  interest 
himself  in  Wagner's  talent,  for  he  brought 
out  at  Cassel  "  Der  Fliegende  Hollander," 
and  continued  with  "  Tannhauser,"  notwith- 
standing the  opposition  of  the  court.  He 
considered  Wagner  to  be  by  far  the  greatest 
of  all  dramatic  composers  living  at  that  time. 

In  1 8 1 5  he  made  a  concert  tour  in  France 
and  Italy,  during  which  he  met  Rossini  and 
Paganini,  playing  at  Venice  a  sinfonia  concer- 
tante  of  his  own  composition,  with  the  latter. 

On  his  return  to  Germany  in  1817  Spohr 
was  appointed  conductor  of  the  Opera  at 
Frankfort  -  on  -  the  -  Main,  where  his  opera 
"Faust"  was  now  produced,  also  '' Zemire 
and  Azor."  Owing  to  difficulties  with  man- 
agers again  he  left  Frankfort  after  a  stay  of 
only  two  years,  and  his  next  venture  was 
a  visit  to  England,  where  he  appeared  at 
the  concerts  of  the  Philharmonic  Society  in 
London.     His  success  was  brilliant,  for  his 


iJS^  /^  t8oo.  93 

clear  style  and  high  artistic  capacity,  added 
to  his  reputation  as  a  composer,  carried  him 
into  popularity,  and  the  artistic  world  vied 
with  the  public  in  doing  honour  to  him.  At 
his  farewell  concert,  his  wife  made  her  last 
appearance  as  a  harp  player,  for  on  account 
of  ill-health  she  was  obliged  to  give  it  up, 
and  thereafter  she  played  only  the  piano- 
forte. 

On  his  way  home  from  England  Spohr 
visited  Paris  for  the  first  time,  and  made  the 
personal  acquaintance  of  Kreutzer,  Viotti, 
Habeneck,  Cherubini,  and  other  eminent 
musicians,  who  received  him  with  the  great- 
est cordiality.  But  the  public  did  not  seem 
to  appreciate  his  merits,  for  his  quiet,  unpre- 
tentious style  was  not  quite  in  keeping  with 
the  taste  of  the  French. 

On  his  return  to  Germany  Spohr  settled 
in  Dresden,  and  remained  there  until  1822, 
when  he  became  Hofkapellmeister  to  the 
Elector  of  Hesse-Cassel,  and  he  remained  in 


94  Famous  Violinists. 

Cassel  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  This  position 
he  obtained  on  the  advice  of  Weber. 

In  1 83 1  he  completed  his  great  "Violin 
School,"  which  has  ever  since  its  publication 
been  considered  a  standard  work.  The  fol- 
lowing year  the  political  disturbances  inter- 
fered with  the  opera  performances  at  Cassel, 
and  caused  him  much  annoyance.  In  1834 
he  lost  his  wife,  but  his  work  of  composition 
proceeded  with  vigour. 

In  1839  ^^  again  visited  England,  where 
his  music  had  become  very  popular,  and 
during  the  remainder  of  his  career  he  re- 
peated his  visit  several  times,  many  of  his 
works  being  produced  by  the  various  socie- 
ties. 

His  life  at  Cassel  was  not  free  from  cares 
and  friction,  and  he  was  subjected  to  many 
indignities  and  annoyances  by  the  elector. 
Perhaps  his  sympathy  with  the  revolutionists 
of  1848  was  the  chief  cause  of  these  petty 
persecutions.       When     Spohr    married     his 


second  wife,  Marianne  Pfeiffer,  the  elector 
objected,  and  only  gave  his  reluctant  consent 
when  Spohr  agreed  to  waive  the  right  of  his 
wife  to  a  pension.  All  his  proposals  were 
met  with  opposition.  '*  Tannhauser  "  was 
produced  and  well  received,  but  a  repetition 
of  the  performance  was  not  allowed,  and 
*'  Lohengrin  "  was  ordered  to  be  withdrawn 
from  rehearsal,  for  Wagner  was  one  of  the 
revolutionists  and  was  obliged  to  live  in 
seclusion. 

America  is  indebted  to  this  revolution  of 
1848  for  some  excellent  musicians,  for  the 
Germania  Orchestra,  an  organisation  of  young 
revolutionists,  sought  these  shores,  and  after 
a  prosperous  career,  begun  under  great  trials 
and  discouragements,  the  various  members 
settled  in  different  cities  and  became  identi- 
fied with  the  musical  life  of  the  nation. 

In  185 1  the  elector  refused  to  sign  the 
permit  for  Spohr' s  two  months'  leave  of 
absence,  to  which  he  v.-as  entitled  under  his 


g6  Famotis  Violinists. 

contract,  and  when  the  musician  departed 
without  the  permit,  a  portion  of  his  salary 
was  deducted.  In  1857  he  was  pensioned 
off,  much  against  his  own  wish,  and  in  the 
winter  of  the  same  year  he  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  break  his  arm,  an  accident  which  put 
an  end  to  his  violin  playing.  Nevertheless 
he  conducted  his  opera  "Jessonda"  at  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Prague  Conserva- 
torium  in  the  following  year,  with  all  his  old- 
time  energy.     In  1859  he  ^i^^  ^^  Cassel. 

Through  all  his  long  career  Spohr  had 
lived  up  to  the  ideal  he  had  conceived  in  his 
youth.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  individu- 
ality, and  invariably  maintained  the  dignity 
of  his  art  with  unflinching  independence. 
Even  the  mistakes  that  he  made,  as  for 
instance  his  criticism  of  Beethoven,  bore  the 
strongest  testimony  to  his  manly  straight- 
forwardness and  sincerity  in  word  and  deed. 
He  was  a  most  prolific  composer,  leaving 
over  two  hundred  works  in  all.     His  violin 


//JO  to  1800.  97 

concertos  stand  foremost  among  his  works, 
and  are  distinguished  as  much  by  noble  and 
elevated  ideas  as  by  masterly  thematic  treat- 
ment, yet  there  is  a  certain  monotony  of 
treatment  in  all,  and  his  style  and  manner 
are  entirely  his  own. 

As  an  executant  Spohr  stands  among  the 
greatest  of  all  time.  In  slow  movements  he 
played  with  a  breadth  and  beauty  of  tone, 
and  a  delicacy  and  refinement  of  expression 
almost  unequalled.  His  hands  w^ere  of  ex- 
ceptional size  and  strength,  and  enabled  him 
to  execute  the  most  difficult  double  stops  and 
stretches  with  the  greatest  facility.  Even  in 
quick  passages  he  preserved  a  broad,  full 
tone,  and  his  staccato  was  brilliant  and  effect- 
ive. He  disliked  the  use  of  the  "  spring- 
ing bow,"  which  came  with  the  modern  style 
of  playing. 

Spohr  had  a  great  many  pupils,  of  whom 
the  best  known  were  Ries,  Ferd.  David, 
Blagrove,    Bargheer,    Hompel,     and     Henry 


98  Famous  Violinists. 

Holmes.  He  was  also  considered  one  of 
the  best  conductors  of  his  time,  and  intro- 
duced into  England  the  custom  of  conducting 
with  a  baton. 

Amongst  the  amusing  episodes  in  the  life 
of  Spohr  was  one  which  took  place  in  Lon- 
don, when  a  servant  brought  him  a  letter 
desiring  M.  Spohr  to  "•  be  present  at  four 
o'clock  to-morrow  evening  at  the  closet 
of  the  undersigned."  Spohr  had  not  the 
faintest  idea  as  to  the  identity  of  **the 
undersigned,"  nor  the  least  inkling  of  that 
gentleman's  design.  He  therefore  replied 
that  he  had  an  engagement  at  that  time. 
To  this  note  he  received  another  polite  epistle 
asking  him  to  be  good  enough  to  honour 
the  "  undersigned "  with  an  interview,  and 
to  choose  his  own  time.  He  therefore  made 
an  appointment,  which  he  kept  punctually, 
and  on  arriving  at  the  house  to  which  he  was 
directed,  he  found  an  old  gentleman,  who 
was  very  genial,  but  who  could  speak  neither 


//JO  to  1800.  99 

French  nor  German.  As  Spohr  spoke  no 
English  the  communication  between  them 
was  of  necessity  carried  on  by  pantomine. 
The  old  gentleman  led  the  way  into  a  room, 
the  walls  of  which  were  literally  covered  with 
violins,  from  which  Spohr  gathered  the  idea 
that  he  was  to  pick  out  that  which  he  consid- 
ered the  best.  After  trying  them  all  he  had 
to  decide  between  the  merits  of  half  a  dozen, 
and,  when  he  finally  gave  his  opinion,  the 
gentleman  seemed  delighted,  and  offered  him 
a  five  pound  note  to  compensate  him  for  his 
trouble.  This  the  violinist  declined  to  accept, 
for  he  had  found  as  much  enjoyment  as  his 
host,  and  considered  it  a  privilege  to  be  able 
to  examine  such  a  fine  collection  of  beautiful 
instruments.  The  gentleman  found  a  way 
of  satisfying  his  ideas  of  compensation  by 
buying  tickets  to  the  value  of  ten  pounds,  for 
one  of  Spohr's  concerts. 

Among  the  most  talented  violinists  of  the 
early   part    of    the   nineteenth    century   was 


lOO  Famous  Violinists. 

Karl  Joseph  Lipinski,  the  son  of  a  Polish 
violin  player  whose  gifts  were  uncultivated. 
He  was  born  in  Poland,  in  1 790,  at  a  small 
town  named  Radzyn.  After  learning,  with 
the  aid  of  his  father,  to  play  the  violin,  he 
took  up  the  'cello,  and  taught  himself  to  play 
that  instrument,  and  in  later  days  he  attrib- 
uted his  full  tone  on  the  violin  to  the  power 
which  his  'cello  practice  gave  to  his  bow 
arm. 

Lipinski  seems  to  have  been  an  energetic 
and  original  man.  He  was  in  the  habit  of 
appearing  at  concerts  both  as  violinist  and 
'cellist.  He  was  unable  to  play  the  piano, 
so  when  he  was  conductor  of  the  opera  at 
Lemberg  he  directed  with  the  violin,  and 
frequently  had  to  play  two  parts,  which  gave 
him  great  command  over  his  double  stops. 
When  the  fame  of  Paganini  reached  him  he 
set  forth  to  Italy,  that  he  might  profit  by 
hearing  the  great  virtuoso,  and  when  the 
opportunity    came    at    Piacenza,    he    distin- 


//JO  to  1800.  10  I 

guished  himself  by  being  the  only  person 
in  the  audience  to  applaud  the  first  adagio. 
After  the  concert  he  was  introduced  to 
Paganini,  and  he  did  not  fail  to  improve  the 
acquaintance,  frequently  visiting  Paganini  and 
playing  with  him,  sometimes  even  in  his 
concerts. 

Lipinski  declined  the  honour  of  going  on 
a  concert  tour  with  Paganini,  as  he  wished 
to  return  to  his  home.  On  stopping  at 
Trieste  he  heard  of  an  old  man,  over  ninety 
years  of  age,  who  had  once  been  a  pupil  of 
Tartini,  and  sought  him  out  in  order  to  "  get 
some  points "  on  Tartini's  style.  The  old 
man.  Doctor  Mazzurana,  declared  himself 
too  old  to  play  the  violin,  but  suggested  that 
if  Lipinski  would  play  a  Tartini  sonata  he 
would  tell  him  if  his  style  reminded  him  of 
the  great  master.  It  did  not,  but  Doctor 
Mazzurana  brought  out  of  a  cupboard  a 
volume  of  Tartini's  sonatas  having  letter- 
press under  the  music,  and  this  Lipinski  was 


I02  Famous  Violinists. 

ordered  to  read  in  a  loud  tone  and  with  all 
possible  expression.  Then  he  had  to  play 
the  sonata,  and  after  numerous  attempts  and 
corrections,  the  old  man  began  to  applaud 
his  efforts.  Lipinski  ever  afterwards  profited 
by  these  lessons. 

Later  on  he  met  Paganini  again  at  War- 
saw, where  they  were  rivals,  for  the  time 
being,  and  different  factions  waxed  warm 
over  their  respective  merits.  Paganini  him- 
self, who  is  said  to  have  been  asked  whom 
he  considered  to  be  the  greatest  violinist, 
replied,  with  conscious  modesty,  *'  The  second 
greatest  is  certainly  Lipinski." 

Lipinski  travelled  throughout  Europe, 
meeting  with  great  success,  until  in  1839 
he  was  appointed  concert-meister  at  the 
Royal  Opera  in  Dresden,  where  he  remained 
for  many  years.  He  also  organised  a  string 
quartet,  and  was  considered  a  most  excellent 
performer  of  chamber-music.  He  wrote  a 
large  quantity  of  music  for  the  violin,  but 


ly^o  to  1800.  103 

little  of  it  was  of  a  lasting  quality.     In   1861 
he  was  pensioned,  and  retired  to  Urlow,  near 
Lemberg,  where  he  had  some  property,  and 
there    he   died   in    December    of    the    same 
year. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PAGANINI. 

The  name  Paganini  stands  for  the  quintes- 
sence of  eccentric  genius,  —  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  types  of  mankind  on  record. 
Paganini  was  able  to  excite  wonder  and 
admiration  by  his  marvellous  technical  skill, 
or  to  sway  the  emotions  of  his  hearers  by  his 
musical  genius,  while  his  peculiar  habits, 
eccentric  doings,  and  weird  aspect  caused 
the  superstitious  to  attribute  his  talent  to 
the  power  of  his  Satanic  Majesty.  Yet 
Paganini  was  not  only  mortal,  but  in  many 
respects  a  weak  mortal,  although  the  most 
extraordinary  and  the  most  renowned  violin- 
ist of  the  nineteenth  century. 

104 


>»J»>,   >',  >,    > 


PAGANINL 


Paganini.  105 

Nicolo  Paganini  was  the  son  of  a  commer^ 
cial  broker,  Antonio  Paganini,  and  was  born 
at  Genoa,  February  18,  1784.  He  was  a 
child  of  nervous  and  delicate  constitution, 
and  the  harsh  treatment  accorded  to  him 
by  his  father  tended  to  accentuate  and  de- 
velop the  peculiarities  of  his  character.  He 
was  a  good  violinist  at  the  age  of  six,  and 
before  he  was  eight  years  of  age  he  had  out- 
grown, not  only  his  father's  instruction,  but 
also  that  of  one  Servetto,  a  musician  at  the 
theatre,  and  that  of  Costa,  the  director  of 
music  and  principal  violinist  to  the  churches 
of  Genoa.  He  had  also  written  a  sonata  for 
violin,  which  was  afterwards  lost.  At  the  age 
of  nine  he  appeared  in  his  first  concert,  given 
by  Marchesi  and  Albertinatti  in  a  large  the- 
atre at  Genoa.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  was 
taken  to  Rolla,  the  celebrated  violinist  and 
composer  at  Parma,  upon  whom  he  made  a 
great  impression.  When  Paganini  arrived 
with  his  father  at  Rolla's  house  they  found 


io6  Famous  Violiiiists. 

him  ill  in  bed,  and  not  at  all  disposed  to 
receive  them.  Whilst  awaiting  him,  young 
Paganini  found  on  the  table  a  copy  of  Rolla's 
last  concerto,  and  a  violin.  Taking  up  the 
violin,  he  played  the  piece  off  at  first 
sight.  This  brought  Rolla  out  of  bed,  for 
he  would  not  believe,  without  seeing,  tha^ 
such  a  feat  could  be  accomplished  by  s^ 
young  a  boy.  Rolla  said  that  he  could  teacl" 
him  nothing,  and  advised  him  to  go  to  Paer, 
but  Paer  was  then  in  Germany,  and  the  boy 
went  to  Ghiretti. 

Although  Paganini  denied  ever  having 
taken  lessons  with  Rolla,  he  nevertheless 
had  frequent  discussions  with  him  concern- 
ing the  new  effects  which  he  was  continually 
attempting,  and  which  did  not  always  meet 
with  the  unqualified  approval  of  the  older 
musician. 

The  music  which  he  wrote  for  his  instru- 
ment contained  so  many  difficulties  that  he 
had  to  practise  unremittingly  to  overcome 


Paganini.  107 

them,  often  working  ten  or  twelve  hours  a 
day  and  being  overwhelmed  with  exhaus- 
tion. 

In  1797  Paganini  made  his  first  tour,  with 
his  father,  through  the  chief  towns  of  Lom- 
bardy,  and  now  he  determined  to  release 
himself,  on  the  first  opportunity,  from  the 
bondage  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  father. 
This  opportunity  presented  itself  when  the 
fete  of  St.  Martin  was  celebrated  at  Lucca, 
and  after  much  opposition  he  at  last  obtained 
the  consent  of  his  father  to  attend  the  cele- 
bration. Meeting  with  much  success,  he  went 
on  to  Pisa,  and  then  to  other  places,  in  all  of 
which  he  was  well  received.  Being  now  free 
from  the  restraint  of  his  home  he  fell  into 
bad  company,  and  took  to  gambling  and  other 
vices,  the  most  natural  result  of  his  father's 
harsh  training  showing  itself  in  lack  of  moral 
stamina. 

For  a  time  his  careless  life  had  its  allure- 
ments, but  the  young  virtuoso  v/as  frequently 


io8  Fmnous  Violinists. 

reduced  to  great  straits,  and  on  one  occasion, 
if  not  more,  pawned  his  violin.  This  hap- 
pened at  Leghorn,  where  he  was  to  play  at  a 
concert,  and  it  was  only  through  the  kindness 
of  a  French  merchant,  M.  Livron,  who  lent 
him  a  beautiful  Guarnieri,  that  he  was  able 
to  appear.  When  the  concert  was  over,  and 
Paganini  brought  back  the  instrument,  its 
owner  was  so  delighted  with  what  he  had 
heard  that  he  refused  to  receive  it.  "  Never 
will  I  profane  strings  which  your  fingers  have 
touched,"  he  said,  "the  instrument  is  now 
yours."  And  Paganini  used  that  violin  after- 
wards in  all  his  concerts. 

This  violin  was,  some  time  later,  the  means 
by  which  he  was  cured  of  gambling,  for  hav- 
ing been  reduced  to  extreme  poverty,  he  was 
tempted  to  sell  it.  The  price  offered  was  a 
large  one.  At  this  juncture  he  won  one 
hundred  and  sixty  francs,  which  saved  the 
violin,  but  the  mental  agony  he  endured 
through    the    affair    convinced    him    that    a 


Pagan  2  71 2.  109 

gamester  is  an  object  of  contempt  to  all  well 
regulated  minds. 

Paganini  won  another  violin  by  his  abilit}' 
to  read  music  at  sight.  Pasini,  an  eminent 
painter  and  an  amateur  violinist,  refused  to 
believe  the  wonderful  faculty  for  playing  at 
sight,  which  had  been  imputed  to  Paganini, 
and  in  order  to  test  it  brought  him  a  manu- 
script concerto  containing  some  difficulties 
considered  as  insurmountable.  "  This  in- 
strument shall  be  yours,"  said  Pasini,  plac- 
ing in  his  hands  an  excellent  Stradivari,  ''  if 
you  can  play,  in  a  masterly  manner,  this 
concerto,  at  first  sight."  Paganini  accepted 
the  challenge,  threw  Pasini  into  ecstasies, 
and  became  the  owner  of  the  instru- 
ment. 

The  severe  course  of  dissipation  in  which 
Paganini  indulged  during  these  days  of  his 
youth  ruined  his  health,  and  caused  him  fre- 
quently to  disappear  from  the  public  gaze  for 
long  periods,  throughout  his    career.     With 


no  Famous  Violinists. 

the  fair  sex  he  had  more  than  one  romantic 
episode.  At  one  time  a  lady  of  high  rank 
fell  in  love  with  him  and  led  him  captive  to 
her  castle  in  Tuscany.  Here  the  lovers 
solaced  themselves  with  duets  on  the  guitar, 
and  the  violinist  attained  a  proficiency,  on 
that  instrument,  equal  to  the  expression  of 
the  tenderest  passion.  This  adventure  brought 
retribution  in  after  days,  and  in  a  most  unex- 
pected manner,  for  as  his  genius  began  to 
excite  the  wonder  of  the  world,  sundry  mali- 
cious stories  concerning  him  were  invented 
and  circulated.  One  of  these  stories  was  to 
the  effect  that  he  had  been  imprisoned  for 
stabbing  one  of  his  friends,  another  rumour 
said  that  he  strangled  his  wife,  and  that  dur- 
ing his  imprisonment  he  had  been  allowed  only 
the  solace  of  playing  his  violin  with  but  one 
string.  This  story  was  told  in  order  to  account 
for  his  wonderful  one-stringed  performances, 
and  it  was  absolutely  untrue,  but  the  time 
allotted  by  rumour  to  his  supposed  imprison- 


Paganiiii.  1 1 1 

ment  coincided  with  the  period  which  was 
really  occupied  with  this  romance. 

At  the  end  of  three  years  he  resumed 
his  travels  and  his  violin  playing,  returning 
to  Genoa  in  1804,  where  he  set  to  work  on 
some  compositions.  At  this  time  he  be- 
came interested  in  a  little  girl,  Catarina 
Calcagno,  to  whom  he  gave  lessons  on  the 
violin.  She  was  then  about  seven  years  of 
age,  and  a  few  years  later  she  became  well 
known  as  a  concert  violinist. 

Paganini  did  not  remain  long  in  Genoa,  for 
the  following  year  found  him  wandering 
again,  and  another  love  affair  in  Lucca  led 
to  the  composition  of  a  piece  to  be  played  on 
two  strings,  the  first  and  the  fourth  :  the  first 
to  express  the  sentiments  of  a  young  girl,  and 
the  fourth  the  passionate  language  of  her 
lover.  The  performance  of  this  extremely 
expressive  composition  was  rewarded  by  the 
most  languishing  glances  from  his  lady-love 
in   the   audience,    but    the    most    important 


112  Famotis  Violinists. 

result  was  that  the  Princess  Elise  Bacchiochi, 
sister  of  Napoleon,  declared  to  him  that  he 
had  performed  impossibilities.  "  Would  not 
a  single  string  suffice  for  your  talent  ?  "  she 
asked.  Paganini  was  delighted,  and  shortly 
afterward  composed  his  military  sonata  en- 
titled "  Napoleon,"  which  is  performed  on 
the  G  string  only. 

At  Ferrara  he  once  nearly  lost  his  life 
through  unwittingly  trampling  upon  the  sus- 
ceptibilities of  the  people,  in  the  following 
manner.  It  appears,  that  the  peasantry  in 
the  suburbs  of  Ferrara  bore  ill-will  toward 
the  citizens  of  that  town  and  called  them 
"asses."  This  little  pleasantry  was  mani- 
fested by  the  suburbanites  in  "  hee-hawing  " 
at  the  citizens  when  fitting  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself.  Now  it  happened  that  Paga- 
nini played  at  a  concert,  and  some  of  the 
audience  expressed  dissatisfaction  with  the 
singer,  Madame  Pallerini,  and  hissed  her. 
Paganini  decided  to  have  revenge,  and  when 


Paganini.  113 

about  to  commence  his  last  solo,  he  amused 
the  public  by  giving  an  imitation  of  the  notes 
and  cries  of  various  animals.  The  chirping 
of  various  birds,  the  crowing  of  the  chanti- 
cleer, the  mewing  of  cats,  the  barking  of 
dogs  were  all  imitated  and  the  audience  v/as 
delighted.  Now  was  the  time  to  punish  the 
reprobates  who  hissed.  Paganini  advanced 
to  the  footlights  exclaiming,  ''  This  for  the 
men  who  hissed,"  and  gave  a  vivid  imitation 
of  the  braying  of  an  ass.  Instead  of  exciting 
laughter  and  thus  causing  the  confusion  of 
the  enemy  as  he  expected,  the  whole  audi- 
ence rose  as  one  man,  scaled  the  orchestra 
and  footlights,  and  swore  they  would  have 
his  blood.  Paganini  sought  safety  in  flight. 
He  was  eventually  enlightened  as  to  the 
mistake  he  had  made. 

Once,  when  he  was  at  Naples,  Paganini 
was  taken  ill,  and  in  his  desire  to  secure 
lodgings  where  the  conditions  would  be  fa- 
vourable for  his  recovery,  he  made  a  mistake 


114  Famous  Violinists. 

and  soon  became  worse.  It  was  said  that 
he  was  consumptive,  and  consumption  being 
considered  a  contagious  disease,  his  landlord 
put  him  out  in  the  street,  with  all  his  posses- 
sions. Here  he  was  found  by  Ciandelli,  the 
violoncellist,  who,  after  giving  the  landlord  a 
practical  and  emphatic  expression  of  his  opin- 
ion by  means  of  a  stick,  conveyed  his  friend 
Paganini  to  a  comfortable  lodging,  where 
he  was  carefully  attended  until  restored  to 
health. 

In  1817  Paganini  was  urged  by  Count 
Metternich  and  by  Count  de  Kannitz,  the 
Austrian  ambassador  to  Italy,  to  visit  Vienna, 
but  several  times  he  was  prevented  from 
carrying  out  his  plans  by  illness,  and  it  was 
not  until  1828  that  he  reached  Vienna  and 
gave  his  first  concert.  His  success  was  pro- 
digious. "  He  stood  before  us  like  a  miracu- 
lous apparition  in  the  domain  of  art,"  wrote 
one  of  the  critics.  The  public  seemed  to 
be  intoxicated.     Hats,  dresses,  shoes,  every- 


Paga7imi.  1 1 5 

thing  bore  his  name.  His  portrait  was  to 
be  found  everywhere,  he  was  decorated  and 
presented  with  medals  and  honours. 

He  continued  his  tour  through  Germany, 
being  received  everywhere  with  the  utmost 
enthusiasm,  and  he  visited  England,  after  a 
sojourn  in  Paris,  in  1831. 

When  he  reached  home  after  an  absence 
of  six  years,  he  was  the  possessor  of  a  con- 
siderable fortune,  part  of  which  he  lost  by 
injudicious  investments.  Some  friends  in- 
duced him  to  join  them  in  the  establishment 
of  a  casino  in  a  fashionable  locality  in  Paris. 
It  was  called  the  Casino  Paganini,  and  was 
intended  to  be  a  gambling-house.  The  au- 
thorities, however,  refused  to  grant  a  license, 
and  it  was  found  impossible  to  support  it  by 
concerts  only.  After  some  vicissitudes  a  law- 
suit was  established  against  Paganini,  who 
was  condemned  to  pay  fifty  thousand  francs, 
and  to  be  imprisoned  until  the  amount  was 
paid,  but  this  decision  was  not  reached  until 


1 16  Famous  Violinists. 

Paganini  was  in  a  dying  condition,  and  he 
went,  by  the  advice  of  his  physicians,  to 
Marseilles,  where  he  remained  but  a  short 
time.  Finding  that  his  health  did  not  im- 
prove, he  decided  to  pass  the  winter  at 
Nice,  but  the  progress  of  his  ailment  was 
not  checked,  and  on  May  27,  1840,  he  expired. 

By  his  will,  made  three  years  previously, 
he  left  an  immense  fortune  and  the  title  of 
baron,  which  had  been  conferred  on  him  in 
Germany,  to  his  son  Achille,  —  the  fruit  of  a 
liaison  with  the  singer  Antonia  Bianchi  of 
Como,  —  whose  birth  had  been  legitimised 
by  deeds  of  law.  His  fortune  amounted  to 
about  four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  besides 
which  he  had  a  valuable  collection  of  musical 
instruments.  His  large  Guarnieri  violin  he 
bequeathed  to  the  town  of  Genoa,  that  no 
artist  might  possess  it  after  him. 

During  his  last  illness  Paganini,  not  real- 
ising that  death  w^as  so  near,  devoted  himself 
to  music  and  to  arranging  for  another  con- 


Paganini.  1 1 7 

cert  tour.  During  his  lifetime  he  had  never 
paid  much  attention  to  religion  and  there 
were  some  doubts  as  to  his  belief.  Although 
he  expressed  his  adherence  to  the  Roman 
Church,  yet  he  dallied  with  its  formalities, 
and  when  the  priest  visited  him  three  days 
before  his  death  to  administer  the  final  con- 
solations of  religion,  the  dying  man  put  him 
off  on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  yet  ready, 
and  would  send  for  him  when  the  time  came. 
Death  prevented  this,  and  burial  in  conse- 
crated ground  was  therefore  denied  him.  An 
appeal  was  made  to  the  spiritual  tribunal  and 
in  the  meantime  the  body  was  embalmed 
and  kept  in  a  hall  in  the  palace  of  the 
Conte  di  Cessole,  whose  guest  he  was  during 
his  last  illness. 

People  now  began  to  come  from  all  parts 
of  Italy  to  pay  honour  to  the  dead  artist,  and 
this  so  angered  the  bishop  and  priests  that  an 
order  was  obtained  for  the  removal  of  the 
body.      Under  military  escort  the  remains  of 


1 1 8  Famous  Violinists. 

the  great  violinist  were  taken  to  Villafranca 
and  placed  in  a  small  room,  which  was  then 
sealed  up.  And  now  Paganini  became  a  ter- 
ror to  the  ignorant  peasants  and  fishermen, 
who  crossed  themselves  as  they  hurried  past 
the  spot  where  the  excommunicated  remains 
lay.  It  was  said  that  in  the  dead  of  night 
the  spectre  of  Paganini  appeared  and  played 
the  violin  outside  his  resting-place. 

In  the  meantime  every  effort  was  being 
made  to  secure  Christian  burial.  The  spirit- 
ual tribunal  decided  that  Paganini  had  died  a 
good  Catholic.  The  bishop  refused  to  accept 
the  decision,  and  an  appeal  to  the  archbishop 
was  unavailing.  Eventually  the  case  was 
brought  before  the  Pope  himself  by  the 
friends  of  the  dead  man,  and  the  Pope  over- 
ruled the  decision  of  the  archbishop  and 
ordained  that  Christian  burial  should  be 
accorded  to  the  artist.  On  the  2ist  of 
August,  1843,  the  Conte  di  Cessole  took 
away  the  coffin  from  Villafranca,  and  interred 


Pagajiini.  119 

it  in  the  churchyard  near  Paganini's  old 
residence  at  Villa  Gavona,  near  Parma. 
Thus  even  after  death  he  was  the  victim  of 
superstition,  as  he  had  been  during  his  life- 
time. 

Paganini  resolved  not  to  publish  his  com- 
positions until  after  he  had  ceased  to  travel, 
for  he  was  aware  that  his  performances  would 
lose  much  of  their  interest  if  his  works  were 
available  to  everybody.  He  seldom  carried 
with  him  the  solo  parts,  but  only  the 
orchestral  scores  of  the  pieces  that  he  played. 
His  studies  were  pronounced  impossible  by 
some  of  the  best  violinists  of  the  day,  so 
great  were  the  difficulties  which  they  con- 
tained, and  in  his  mastery  of  these  difficulties, 
which  he  himself  created,  may  be  found  the 
true  secret  of  his  success.  People  accounted 
for  it  in  many  ways,  one  man  declaring  that 
he  saw  the  devil  standing  at  his  elbow,  and 
others  stating  that  he  was  a  child  of  the 
devil,  and  that  he  was  bewitched. 


120  Famous  Violinists. 

His  compositions  are  remarkable  for 
novelty  in  ideas,  elegance  of  form,  richness 
of  harmony,  and  variety  in  the  effects  of 
instrumentation.  Few  compositions  ever  at- 
tained such  fame  as  the  ''Streghe,"  of  which 
the  theme  was  taken  from  the  music  of 
Sussmayer  to  the  ballet  of  "  II  Noce  di  Bene- 
vento." 

While  it  may  be  readily  admitted  that 
many  of  the  effects  with  which  Paganini 
dazzled  the  multitude  were  tainted  with  char- 
latanism, yet  the  fact  remains  that  no  one 
ever  equalled  him  in  surmounting  difficulties, 
and  it  is  doubtful  if,  among  all  the  excellent 
violinists  of  the  present  day,  any  of  them 
compares  with  that  remarkable  man. 

Some  of  his  studies  have  been  adapted  to 
the  pianoforte  by  Schumann  and  by  Liszt, 
and  of  the  collection  arranged  by  Liszt, 
consisting  of  five  numbers  from  the  Caprices, 
Schumann  says  :  ''  It  must  be  highly  interest- 
ing to  find  the  compositions  of  the  greatest 


Paganini.  12 1 

violin  virtuoso  of  this  century  in  regard  to 
bold  bravura  —  Paganini  —  illustrated  by  the 
boldest  of  modern  pianoforte  virtuosi  — 
Liszt."  This  collection  is  probably  the 
most  difficult  ever  written  for  the  piano- 
forte, as  its  original  is  the  most  difficult  work 
that  exists  for  the  violin.  Paganini  knew 
this  well,  and  expressed  it  in  his  short 
dedication,  *'Agli  Artisti,"  that  is  to  say, 
"  I  am  only  accessible  to  artists." 

It  is  doubtful  whether  any  violinist  ever 
lived  concerning  whom  more  fantastic  stories 
were  told.  His  gruesome  aspect,  his  frequent 
disappearances  from  public  life,  his  peculiar 
habits,  all  tended  to  make  him  an  object  of 
interest,  —  and  interest  is  sometimes  shown 
in  eagerness  to  hear  anything  at  all  about 
the  subject. 

He  enjoyed  conversation  when  he  was  in 
the  company  of  a  small  circle  of  friends.  He 
was  cheerful  at  evening  parties,  —  if  music 
was  not  mentioned.       He  had  an  excellent 


122  Famous  Violinists. 

memory  for  features  and  names  of  persons 
whom  he  had  met,  but  it  is  said  that  he  never 
remembered  the  names  of  towns  at  which  he 
had  given  concerts.  He  was  very  severe 
with  orchestras,  and  any  mistakes  made  by 
them  would  bring  forth  a  tempest  of  rage, 
though  satisfactory  work  would  be  rewarded 
with  expressions  of  approval.  When  he 
came  to  a  pause  for  the  introduction  of  a 
cadenza,  at  rehearsal,  the  musicians  would 
frequently  rise,  eager  to  watch  his  perform- 
ance, but  Paganini  would  merely  play  a  few 
notes,  and  then  stopping  suddenly  would  smile 
and  say,  "  Et  cetera,  messieurs  !  "  and  reserve 
his  strength  for  the  public  performance. 

His  peculiarities  were  shown  strongly  in 
his  arrangements  for  personal  comfort  while 
travelling,  for  his  constant  suffering  pre- 
cluded the  enjoyment  of  the  beauties  of 
nature.  He  was  always  cold,  and  even  in 
summer  kept  a  large  cloak  wrapped  around 
him,  and  the  windows  of  the  carriage  care- 


Pagajiini.  123 

fully  closed.  Before  starting  he  took  merely 
a  basin  of  soup  or  a  cup  of  chocolate,  and 
though  he  frequently  remained  nearly  the 
whole  day  without  further  refreshment,  he 
slept  a  great  deal  and  thus  escaped  some 
of  the  pain  which  the  jolting  of  the  carriage 
caused  him.  His  luggage  consisted  of  a 
small  dilapidated  trunk,  which  contained 
his  violin,  his  jewels,  his  money,  and  a  few 
fine  linen  articles.  Besides  this  he  had  only 
a  hat-case  and  a  carpet-bag,  and  frequently 
a  napkin  would  contain  his  entire  wardrobe. 
In  a  small  red  pocketbook  he  kept  his  ac- 
counts and  his  papers,  which  represented  an 
immense  value,  and  nobody  but  himself  could 
decipher  the  hieroglyphics  which  indicated 
his  expenses  and  receipts.  He  cared  not 
whether  his  apartment,  at  the  inns  on  the 
road,  was  elegantly  furnished  or  a  mere 
garret,  but  he  always  kept  the  windows  open 
in  order  to  get  an  "  air-bath,"  contrary  to  his 
custom  while  in  a  carriage. 


124  Famous  Violinists. 

While  the  secret  of  Paganini's  marvellous 
technique  was  incessant  hard  work,  to  which 
he  was  urged  not  less  by  his  own  ambition 
than  by  his  father's  cruelty,  yet  in  later 
years  he  seldom  practised,  and  his  playing 
was  chiefly  confined  to  his  concerts  and 
rehearsals.  There  are  several  good  stories 
dealing  with  this  peculiarity.  One  man  is 
said  to  have  followed  him  around  for  months, 
taking  the  adjoining  room  at  hotels,  in  order 
to  find  the  secret  of  his  success  by  hearing 
him  practise.  Once,  when  looking  through 
the  keyhole,  he  saw  the  virtuoso  go  to  the 
violin  case,  take  out  the  instrument,  and 
after  seeing  that  it  was  in  tune,  —  put  it 
back  again. 

Sir  Charles  Halle  tells  about  seeing  Pa- 
ganini  in  Paris,  where  he  used  to  spend  an 
hour  every  day  sitting  in  a  publisher's  shop, 
"a  striking,  awe-inspiring,  ghostlike  figure." 
Hall6  was  introduced  to  him,  but  conversa- 
tion was  difficult,  for  Paganini  sat  there  taci- 


Paganini.  125 

turn,  rigid,  hardly  ever  moving  a  muscle  of 
his  face.  He  made  the  young  pianist  play 
for  him  frequently,  indicating  his  desire  by 
pointing  at  the  piano  with  his  long,  bony 
hand,  without  speaking.  Halle  was  dying 
to  hear  the  great  violinist  play,  and  one  day, 
after  they  had  enjoyed  a  long  silence,  Paga- 
nini rose  and  went  to  his  violin  case.  He 
took  the  violin  out,  and  began  to  tune  it 
carefully  with  his  fingers,  without  using  the 
bow.  Halle's  agitation  was  becoming  intol- 
erable, for  he  thought  that  the  moment  had 
arrived  at  which  his  desire  was  to  be  grati- 
fied. But  when  Paganini  had  satisfied  him- 
self that  his  violin  was  all  right,  he  carefully 
put  it  back  in  the  case  and  shut  it  up. 

Paganini  was  notoriously  parsimonious, 
and  it  was  related  that  one  evening  in 
Florence  he  left  his  hotel  rather  late,  jumped 
into  a  coach  and  ordered  the  man  to  drive 
him  to  the  theatre.  The  distance  was  short, 
but  he  felt  that  it  would  not  do  to  keep  the 


126  Factious  Violinists. 

public  waiting.  He  was  to  play  the  prayer 
from  "  Moses "  on  one  string.  On  arrival 
at  the  theatre  he  asked  the  driver,  "  How 
much?"  "For  you,"  replied  the  Jehu, 
"ten  francs."  "What?  Ten  francs?  You 
joke,"  replied  the  virtuoso.  "  It  is  only  the 
price  of  a  ticket  to  your  concert,"  was  the 
excuse.  Paganini  hesitated  a  moment,  and 
then  handed  to  the  man  what  he  considered 
to  be  a  fair  remuneration,  saying,  "  I  will  pay 
you  ten  francs  when  you  drive  me  on  one 
wheel." 

At  one  time  Paganini  astonished  the  world 
by  making  to  Hector  Berlioz  the  magnificent 
present  of  twenty  thousand  francs.  Berlioz 
was  at  that  time  almost  in  a  state  of  despair. 
His  compositions  were  not  appreciated,  and 
he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  which  way  to  turn. 
He  made  a  final  effort  and  gave  a  last  con- 
cert, at  which  Paganini  was  present  and 
congratulated   him. 

Jules    Janin,    the     celebrated    critic    and 


Paganini.  127 

writer,  went  into  ecstasies  over  the  affair. 
Paganini,  he  said,  who  had  been  attacked 
for  hard-heartedness  and  avarice,  was  pres- 
ent at  the  concert,  and  at  the  end  prostrated 
himself  before  Berhoz,  and  shed  tears.  Hope 
returned  and  Berlioz  went  home  in  triumph, 
for  he  had  satisfied  one  great  musical  critic. 
The  next  day  he  received  a  note  from  Paga- 
nini enclosing  twenty  thousand  francs,  to 
be  devoted  to  three  years  of  repose,  study, 
liberty,  and  happiness. 

In  Sir  Charles  Halle's  biography,  however, 
this  story  receives  important  modifications. 
It  appears  that  Armand  Bertin,  the  wealthy 
proprietor  of  the  Joitrnal  des  Debates,  had 
a  high  regard  for  Berlioz,  who  was  on  his 
staff,  and  knew  of  his  struggles,  which  he 
was  anxious  to  lighten.  He  resolved,  there- 
fore, to  make  him  a  present  of  twenty  thou- 
sand francs,  and  to  enhance  the  moral  effect 
of  this  gift  he  persuaded  Paganini  to  appear 
as   the  donor  of  the  money.      What  would 


128  Famous  Violinists. 

have  appeared  as  a  simple  gratuity  from 
a  rich  and  powerful  editor  toward  one  of 
his  staff,  became  a  significant  tribute  from 
one  genius  to  another.  The  secret  was  well 
kept  and  was  never  divulged  to  Berlioz.  It 
was  known  only  to  two  of  Bertin's  friends, 
and  Halle  learned  it  about  seven  years  later, 
when  he  had  become  an  intimate  friend  of 
Madame  Bertin,  and  she  had  been  for  years 
one  of  his  best  pupils. 

Paganini  created  the  difficulties  which  he 
performed.  He  had  a  style  of  his  own,  and 
was  most  successful  in  playing  his  own  com- 
positions. In  Paris,  when,  out  of  respect  to 
the  Parisians,  he  played  a  concerto  by  Rode, 
and  one  by  Kreutzer,  he  scarcely  rose  above 
mediocrity,  and  he  was  well  aware  of  his  fail- 
ure. He  adopted  the  ideas  of  his  predeces- 
sors, resuscitated  forgotten  effects  and  added 
to  them,  and  the  chief  features  of  his  per- 
formance were,  the  diversity  of  tones  pro- 
duced, the  different  methods  of  tuning  his 


Pagatiini.  1 29 

instrument,  the  frequent  employment  of 
double  and  single  harmonics,  the  simul- 
taneous use  of  pizzicato  and  bow  passages, 
the  use  of  double  and  triple  notes,  the  vari- 
ous staccati,  and  a  wonderful  facility  for 
executing  wide  intervals  with  unerring  accu- 
racy, together  with  a  great  variety  of  styles 
of  bowing.  The  quality  of  tone  which  he 
produced  was  clear  and  pure,  but  not  exces- 
sively full,  and,  according  to  Fetis,  he  was  a 
master  of  technique  and  phrasing  rather  than 
a  pathetic  player,  —  there  was  no  tenderness 
in  his  accents. 

It  is  said  that  Baillot  used  to  hide  his  face 
when  Paganini  played  a  pizzicato  with  the 
left  hand,  harmonics,  or  a  passage  in  stac- 
cato. Dancla,  in  his  recollections,  says  :  ''  I 
had  noticed  in  Paganini  his  large,  dry  hand, 
of  an  astonishing  elasticity ;  his  fingers  long 
and  pointed,  which  enabled  him  to  make 
enormous  stretches,  and  double  and  triple 
extensions,  with    the    utmost   facility.     The 


130  Famous  Violinists. 

double  and  triple  harmonics,  the  successions 
of  harmonics  in  thirds  and  sixths,  so  difficult 
for  small  hands,  owing  to  the  stretch  they 
require,  were  to  him  as  child's  play.  When 
playing  an  accentuated  pizzicato  with  the  left 
hand,  while  the  melody  was  played  by  the 
hand  of  the  bow,  the  fourth  finger  pinched 
the  string  with  prodigious  power  even  when 
the  other  three  fingers  were  placed." 

There  are  anecdotes  told  of  Paganini's 
artistic  contests  with  rival  violinists,  chief 
among  whom  were  Lafont  and  Lipinski,  both 
of  whom  he  eclipsed,  and  of  his  playing  a 
concerto  in  manuscript  at  sight,  with  the 
music  upside  down  on  the  rack. 

Of  his  appearance  we  are  told,  in  an 
account  of  a  concert  in  London :  "  A  tall, 
haggard  figure,  with  long,  black  hair, 
strangely  falling  down  to  his  shoulders,  slid 
forward  like  a  spectral  apparition.  There 
was  something  awful,  unearthly  in  that  coun- 
tenance ;  but  his  play  !  our  pen  seems  invol- 


Paga7iini.  131 

untarily  to  evade  the  difficult  task  of  giving 
utterance  to  sensations  which  are  beyond  the 
reach  of  language.''  After  detailing  the  per- 
formance, the  account  continues:  "These 
excellencies  consist  in  the  combination  of 
absolute  mechanical  perfection  of  every 
imaginable  kind,  perfection  hitherto  un- 
known and  unthought  of,  with  the  higher 
attributes  of  the  human  mind,  inseparable 
from  eminence  in  the  fine  arts,  intellectual 
superiority,  sensibility,  deep  feeling,  poesy, 
genius." 

In  regard  to  this  accomplishment  of 
playing  on  one  string,  a  critic  said :  *'  To 
effect  so  much  on  a  single  string  is  truly 
wonderful ;  nevertheless  any  good  player 
can  extract  more  from  two  than  from  one. 
If  Paganini  really  produces  so  much  effect 
on  a  single  string,  he  would  certainly  obtain 
more  from  two.  Then  why  not  employ 
them  ?  We  answer,  because  he  is  waxing 
exceedingly    wealthy    by    playing    on    one." 


132  Famous  Violinists. 

Paganini  seems  to  have  reasoned  from  the 
opposite  point,  viz.,  that  if  the  retention  of 
two  strings  be  regarded  with  such  wonder, 
how  much  greater  the  marvel  will  be  if  only 
one  is  used. 

To  offset  these  suggestions  of  charlatan- 
ism, or  perhaps  rather  to  show  that,  with 
all  his  charlatanism,  Paganini  was  a  marvel, 
we  may  see  what  effect  his  playing  had 
upon  some  men  who  were  not  likely  to  be 
caught  by  mere  trickery.  Rossini,  upon 
being  asked  how  he  liked  Paganini,  replied  : 
"  I  have  wept  but  three  times  in  my  life ; 
the  first,  on  the  failure  of  my  earliest  opera ; 
the  second  time,  when,  in  a  boat  with  some 
friends,  a  turkey  stuffed  with  truffles  fell 
overboard ;  and  thirdly,  when  I  heard  Paga- 
nini play  for  the  first  time." 

Spohr,  after  hearing  him  play,  in  1830, 
said  :  "  Paganini  came  to  Cassel  and  gave 
two  concerts,  which  I  heard  with  great 
interest.     His  left   hand  and  his  constantly 


Paganini,  133 

pure  intonation  were,  to  me,  astonishing ; 
but  in  his  compositions  and  his  execution  I 
found  a  strange  mixture  of  the  highly  genial 
and  the  childishly  tasteless,  by  which  one 
felt  alternately  charmed  and  disappointed." 

George  Hogarth,  the  musical  critic,  writes 
about  Paganini's  ''  running  up  and  down  a 
single  string,  from  the  nut  to  the  bridge, 
for  ten  minutes  together,  or  playing  with 
the  bow  and  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand, 
mingling  pizzicato  and  arcato  notes  with 
the  dexterity  of  an  Indian  juggler."  It  was 
not,  however,  by  such  tricks  as  these,  but 
in  spite  of  them,  that  he  gained  the  suf- 
frages of  those  who  were  charmed  by  his 
truly  great  qualities,  —  his  soul  of  fire,  his 
boundless  fancy,  his  energy,  tenderness,  and 
passion  ;  these  are  the  qualities  which  give 
him  a  claim  to  a  place  among  the  greatest 
masters  of  the  art. 

Perhaps  the  finest  description  of  Paganini 
is  the  one  written  by  Leigh  Hunt : 


134  Famous  Violinists. 

"  So  play'd  of  late  to  every  passing  thought 
With  finest  change  (might  I  but  half  as  well 
So  write)  the  pale  magician  of  the  bow, 
Who  brought  from  Italy  the  tales,  made  true, 
Of  Grecian  lyres ;   and  on  his  sphery  hand, 
Loading  the  air  with  dumb  expectancy, 
Suspended,  ere  it  fell,  a  nation's  breath ; 

<'  Of  witches'  dance,  ghastly  with  whinings  thin, 
And  palsied  nods  —  mirth,  wicked,  sad,  and  weak  ; 
And  then  with  show  of  skill  mechanical. 
Marvellous  as  witchcraft  he  would  overthrow 
That  vision  with  a  show'r  of  notes  like  hail ; 
Flashing  the  sharp  tones  now. 
In  downward  leaps  like  swords ;  now  rising  fine 
Into  some  utmost  tip  of  minute  sound, 
From  whence  he  stepp'd  into  a  higher  and  higher 
On  viewless  points,  till  laugh  took  leave  of  him. 

"  Then  from  one  chord  of  his  amazing  shell 
Would  he  fetch  out  the  voice  of  quires,  and  weight 
Of  the  built  organ  ;  or  some  twofold  strain 
Moving  before  him  like  some  sweet-going  yoke, 
Ride  like  an  Eastern  conqueror,  round  whose  state 
Some  light  Morisco  leaps  with  his  guitar ; 
And  ever  and  anon  o'er  these  he'd  throw 
Jets  of  small  notes  like  pearl." 


CHAPTER  V. 

1800    TO     1830. 

Paganini  was  an  epoch-making  artist. 
He  revolutionised  the  art  of  viohn  playing, 
and  to  his  influence,  or  through  his  example, 
were  developed  the  modern  French  and 
Belgian  schools.  While  Paganini  was  a 
genius,  a  great  musician,  and  a  wonderful 
violinist,  he  combined  with  these  qualities 
that  of  a  trickster,  and  the  exponents  of 
the  modern  French  school  adopted  some 
of  the  less  corhmendable  features  of  Paga- 
nini's  playing,  while  the  Belgian  school  fol- 
lowed the  more  serious  lines,  and  became 
a  much  sounder  school. 

Alard,  Dancla,  and  Maurin  were  expo- 
nents of    the  French   school,  while  in    that 

135 


136  .    Famous  Violinists. 

of  Belgium  we  have  De  Beriot,  Massart, 
Vieuxtemps,  Leonard,  Wieniawski. 

Lambert  Joseph  Massart  was  born  at 
Liege  in  181 1,  and  was  first  taught  by  an 
amateur  named  Delavau,  who,  dehghted  with 
the  remarkable  talent  displayed  by  his  young 
pupil,  succeeded  in  securing  for  him,  from 
the  municipal  authorities  of  Liege,  a  schol- 
arship which  enabled  him  to  go  to  Paris. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  Conservatoire,  Che- 
rubini,  who  was  splenetive  and  rash,  refused 
him  admission  without  assigning  any  reason 
for  his  decision,  but  Rudolph  Kreutzer  took 
upon  his  shoulders  the  task  of  forming  the 
future  artist. 

Notwithstanding  Massart's  great  talent 
and  excellent  capabilities  as  an  artist,  he 
never  became  a  success  as  a  concert  player, 
because  of  his  inordinate  shyness,  but  as  a 
teacher  few  have  equalled  him. 

Sir  Charles  Halle,  in  his  autobiography, 
Jells  a  good  anecdote  concerning    Massart's 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  137 

shyness  and  modesty.  Massart  was  to  play, 
with  Franz  Liszt,  a  program  which  included 
the  Kreutzer  sonata.  Just  as  the  sonata  was 
begun  a  voice  from  the  audience  called  out 
*'  Robert  le  Diable,"  referring  to  Liszt's  bril- 
liant fantasia  on  themes  from  that  opera, 
which  he  had  recently  composed,  and  had 
played  several  times  with  immense  success. 
The  call  was  taken  up  by  other  voices,  and 
the  sonata  was  drowned.  Liszt  rose  and 
bowed,  and  presently,  in  response  to  the  con- 
tinued applause,  he  said  :  *'  I  am  always  the 
humble  servant  of  the  public.  But  do  you 
wish  to  hear  the  fantasia  before  or  after  the 
sonata } " 

Renewed  cries  of  "  Robert "  were  the  only 
reply,  upon  which  Liszt  turned  half  around  to 
Massart  and  dismissed  him  with  a  wave  of 
the  hand,  but  without  a  word  of  excuse  or 
apology.  Liszt's  performance  roused  the 
audience  to  a  perfect  frenzy,  but  Massart 
nevertheless    most    dutifully    returned    and 


138  Famous  Violinists. 

played  the  Kreutzer  sonata,  which  fell 
entirely  flat  after  the  dazzling  display  of  the 
great  pianist. 

Few  teachers  have  formed  as  many  distin- 
guished pupils  as  Massart,  for  in  1843  he  was 
appointed  professor  of  violin  at  the  Paris 
Conservatoire,  where  his  energy,  care,  exact- 
ness, and  thoroughness  brought  him  an  im- 
mense reputation.  Lotto,  Wieniawski, 
Teresina  Tua,  and  a  host  of  other  distin- 
guished violinists  studied  under  him  :  among 
them  also  was  Charles  M.  Loeffler,  of  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra. 

Massart  was  also  an  excellent  quartet 
player  and  gave  many  delightful  chamber 
concerts,  with  his  wife,  who  was  a  pianist. 
He  died  in  Paris,  February  13,  1892. 

Charles  Auguste  de  Beriot,  who  holds  a 
position  of  great  importance  in  the  history  of 
violin  playing  and  composition,  was  born  in 
1802  at  Louvain.  He  had  the  misfortune  to 
be  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  nine.     His 


i8oo  to  i8jo.  139 

parents  were  of  noble  extraction,  but  at 
their  death  he  was  left  entirely  without 
fortune,  and  was  taken  in  charge  by  M.  Tiby, 
a  professor  of  music,  who  had  noticed  the 
little  boy's  love  of  the  musical  art,  and  had 
already  taught  him  to  such  good  purpose 
that  he  was  able  even  at  that  time  to  play 
one  of  Viotti's  concertos  in  public  so  skilfully 
that  he  received  the  hearty  applause  of  the 
audience.  He  also  took  lessons  of  Rober- 
rechts,  one  of  Viotti's  most  noted  pupils. 

De  Beriot  was  a  youth  of  contemplative 
mind  and  of  high  moral  character.  He 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  scholar  and 
philosopher  Jacotot,  who  imbued  him  with 
principles  of  self-reliance,  and  exerted  an 
influence  over  him  which  lasted  throughout 
his  life. 

De  Beriot  learned  from  his  guide,  philoso- 
pher, and  friend  that  *'  perseverance  triumphs 
over  all  obstacles,"  and  that  "we  are  not 
willing  to  do  all  that  we  are  able  to  do." 


140  Famous  Violinists. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  De  Beriot  went  to 
Paris,  taking  with  him  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Viotti,  who  was  then  the  director  of  music 
at  the  Opera,  and  he  succeeded  in  gratifying 
his  greatest  ambition,  which  was  to  be  heard 
by  that  illustrious  violinist. 

Viotti  gave  him  the  following  advice : 
"  You  have  a  fine  style.  Give  yourself  up  to 
the  business  of  perfecting  it.  Hear  all  men 
of  talent,  profit  by  everything,  but  imitate 
nothing." 

De  Beriot  applied  himself  assiduously  to 
his  studies,  entering  the  Paris  Conservatoire 
and  taking  lessons  of  Baillot.  In  a  few 
months,  however,  he  withdrew  from  the  Con- 
servatoire and  relied  upon  his  own  resources. 
He  soon  began  to  appear  in  concerts,  gener- 
ally playing  compositions  of  his  own,  which 
won  him  universal  applause  by  their  freshness 
and  originality  as  much  as  by  his  finished 
execution  and  large  style  of  cantabile. 

In  1826  he  went  to  London  from  Paris, 


i8oo  to  i8jo.  141 

his  first  appearance  taking  place  on  May  ist, 
before  the  Philharmonic  Society.  Wherever 
he  appeared,  either  in  London  or  the  prov- 
inces, he  was  greeted  with  enthusiasm,  and  he 
established  a  lasting  reputation. 

His  appearance  in  England  antedated  that 
of  Paganini  by  about  five  years,  and  it  has 
been  questioned  whether  the  impression 
which  he  made  would  have  been  less  if  he 
had  appeared  after  instead  of  before  the  great 
Italian.  It  seems,  however  that  De  Beriot 
continued  to  meet  with  success  even  after  the 
advent  of  Paganini.  His  playing  was  distin- 
guished by  unfailing  accuracy  of  intonation, 
great  neatness  and  facility  of  bowing,  grace, 
elegance,  and  piquancy. 

After  travelling  for  some  years  he  returned 
to  Belgium,  where  he  was  appointed  solo  vio- 
lin to  the  King  of  the  Netherlands.  He  had 
held  the  position  but  a  short  time  when  the 
revolution  of  1830  broke  out  and  deprived 
him  of  it. 


142  Famous  Violinists. 

He  returned  to  Paris,  and  now  began  the 
most  romantic  portion  of  his  life.  Madame 
Malibran,  whose  brilliant  career  was  then  at 
its  height,  was  singing  in  opera,  and  De 
Beriot  became  acquainted  with  her.  The 
acquaintance  ripened  into  the  most  intimate 
friendship,  and  in  1832  a  concert  company 
was  formed,  consisting  of  Malibran,  De 
Beriot,  and  Luigi  Lablache,  the  celebrated 
and  gigantic  basso.  They  made  a  tour  of 
Italy,  meeting  with  the  most  extraordinary 
success. 

De  Beriot  and  the  beautiful  Madame  Mali- 
bran were  now  inseparable.  Malibran  had 
for  some  years  been  living  apart  from  her 
husband,  an  American  merchant,  who,  with 
the  view  of  supporting  himself  by  her  talents, 
had  married  her  when  on  the  brink  of  finan- 
cial collapse.  In  1835  she  succeeded  in  se- 
curing a  divorce  from  him,  and  then  she 
married  De  Beriot. 

A  few  months  after  their  marriage  Mali- 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  143 

bran  was  thrown  from  her  horse  and  sus- 
tained internal  injuries  of  such  severity  that 
she  died  after  an  illness  of  nine  days,  and  De 
Beriot  became  frantic  with  grief. 

More  than  a  year  elapsed  before  he  could 
at  all  recover  from  the  effects  of  his  irrepara- 
ble loss,  and  his  first  appearance  in  concert, 
after  this  tragic  event,  was  when  Pauline 
Garcia,  the  sister  of  Madame  Malibran,  made 
her  first  debut  in  a  concert  at  Brussels  given 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor. 

In  1 84 1  De  Beriot  married  Mile.  Huber, 
daughter  of  a  magistrate  of  Vienna.  He 
returned  to  Brussels,  and  became  director  of 
the  violin  classes  at  the  Conservatoire,  after 
which  he  ceased  giving  concerts.  He  re- 
mained in  this  position  until  1852,  when  fail- 
ing eyesight  caused  him  to  retire,  and  he 
died  at  Louvain  in  1870. 

Before  his  acquaintance  with  Madame 
Malibran,  De  Beriot  was  a  suitor  for  the 
hand  of  Mile.  Sontag,  and  her  rejection  of 


144  Famous  Violinists. 

him  threw  him  into  a  state  of  despondency, 
from  which  it  required  the  brilliancy  and  wit 
of  Malibran  to  rouse  him. 

De  Beriot  left  a  number  of  compositions 
which  abound  in  pleasing  melodies,  have  a 
certain  easy,  natural  flow,  and  bring  out  the 
characteristic  effects  of  the  instrument  in 
the  most  brilliant  manner.  There  are  seven 
concertos,  eleven  "airs  varices,"  several 
books  of  studies,  four  trios  and  a  number  of 
duets  for  piano  and  violin.  His  "  Violin 
School "  has  been  published  in  many  lan- 
guages and  used  a  great  deal  by  students. 

Delphin  Jean  Alard  was  at  one  time  a 
favourite  violinist  in  France.  In  1842  he 
succeeded  Baillot  as  professor  of  violin  at 
the  Conservatoire  in  Paris.  He  was  first 
soloist  in  the  royal  band,  to  which  post  he 
was  appointed  in  1858,  and  he  was  presented 
with  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honour. 

Alard  was  born  at  Bayonne  in  March, 
181 5,  and  was  well  taught  from  his  earliest 


i8oo  to  t8jo.  145 

youth.  He  appeared  in  concerts  at  the  age 
of  ten,  and  at  twelve  entered  the  Paris  Con- 
servatoire, where  he  became  a  pupil  of  Habe- 
neck,  while  Fetis  taught  him  composition. 
He  was  the  winner  of  numerous  prizes,  and 
he  also  wrote  a  great  deal  of  music  for  the 
violin.     His  greatest  pupil  was  Sarasate. 

Alard  married  the  daughter  of  Vuillaume, 
one  of  the  best  violin  makers  of  France,  and 
through  him  became  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  Stradivarius  violins.  Alard 
died  in  Paris,  February  22,  i88r. 

Hubert  Leonard  was  born  at  Bellaire,  near 
Liege,  in  18 19,  but  unlike  the  majority  of 
violinists  he  did  not  appear  in  concerts  at  an 
early  age,  nor  did  he  enter  the  Paris  Conser- 
vatoire until  he  was  seventeen.  At  this 
time  the  wife  of  a  wealthy  merchant  in 
Brussels  took  interest  in  him  and  provided 
the  means  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  Paris. 
In  1844  he  appeared  at  Leipzig,  and  created 
a  deep  impression  by  the  beauty  of  his  tone 


146  Famous  Violinists. 

and  his  elegant  performance.  He  travelled 
through  Europe  and  played  chiefly  his  own 
compositions,  of  which  there  are  a  great 
many,  but  his  greatest  fame  was  earned  after 
he  was  appointed  professor  at  the  Brussels 
Conservatoire,  where  he  had  many  pupils, 
of  whom  the  most  celebrated  is,  perhaps, 
Martin  Marsick. 

Concerning  the  merits  of  Heinrich  Wil- 
helm  Ernst  there  seems  to  be  a  wide  differ- 
ence of  opinion  between  various  commenta- 
tors. He  was  a  man  of  warm,  impulsive 
nature,  whose  playing  was  distinguished  by 
great  boldness  in  the  execution  of  technical 
difficulties  of  the  most  hazardous  nature. 
His  tone  had  a  peculiar  charm,  and  at  the 
same  time  his  fiery,  impetuous  nature  and 
uneven  disposition  led  to  certain  occasional 
errors  in  technique  and  faulty  intonation. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  one  of  the  most  wel- 
come performers  in  the  concert  halls  of 
Europe  for  a  number  of  years.     He  was  a 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  147 

thorough  musician  and  a  good  composer, 
though  his  works  are  so  full  of  technical 
difficulties  as  to  be  almost  impossible  of  per- 
formance. Indeed  it  is  said  that  some  of 
them  contained  difficulties  which  even  he 
could  not  always  overcome. 

Born  in  Moravia  at  the  town  of  Briinn  in 
1 8 14,  he  entered  the  Vienna  conservatory, 
and  in  1830  made  his  first  concert  tour 
through  Munich  and  Paris.  Paganini  was  at 
that  time  travelling  in  Europe,  and  Ernst,  in 
the  desire  to  learn  something  from  this  great 
artist,  followed  him  from  town  to  town,  and 
endeavoured  to  model  his  own  playing  upon 
the  style  of  the  Italian  virtuoso,  an  effort 
which  seems  to  have  brought  down  upon 
him  the  censure  of  some  critics,  but  which 
others  have  considered  highly  praiseworthy. 

In  1832  he  settled  in  Paris,  where  he 
studied  hard  under  De  Beriot,  and  played  in 
concerts  frequently.  After  1844  he  lived 
chiefly  in  England,  where  he  was  highly  ap- 


148  Famous  Violinists. 

predated,  until  the  approach  of  his  fatal  dis- 
ease made  it  necessary  for  him  to  give  up, 
first,  public  performances,  and  then  violin 
playing  of  any  kind.  He  died  at  Nice 
after  eight  years  of  intense  suffering,  in 
1865. 

When  Ernst  died  the  critic  of  the  Atke- 
neum  compared  him  with  other  players  of  his 
day  in  the  following  words  :  "  Less  perfec- 
tion in  his  polish,  less  unimpeachable  in  the 
diamond  lustre  and  clearness  of  his  tone, 
than  De  Beriot,  Ernst  had  as  much  elegance 
as  that  exquisite  violinist,  with  greater  depth 
of  feeling.  Less  audaciously  inventive  and 
extravagant  than  Paganini,  he  was  sounder 
in  taste,  and,  in  his  music,  with  no  lack  of 
fantasy,  more  scientific  in  construction.  .  .  . 
The  secret,  however,  of  Ernst's  success, 
whether  as  a  composer  or  a  virtuoso,  lay  in 
his  expressive  power  and  accent.  There  has 
been  nothing  to  exceed  these  as  exhibited  by 
him  in  his  best  days.     The  passion  was  car- 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  149 

ried  to  its  utmost  point,  but  never  torn  to 
tatters,  the  freest  use  of  tempo  rubato  per- 
mitted, but  always  within  the  limits  of  the 
most  just  regulation." 

Among  the  violinists  of  this  period  (those 
who  were  born  between  1800  and  1830)  will 
be  found  those  who  first  visited  the  United 
States.  In  1843  Ole  Bull  found  his  way  to 
these  shores,  and  in  the  following  year  both 
Vieuxtemps  and  Artot  were  giving  concerts 
in  New  York.  A  kind  of  triangular  duel 
took  place,  for  the  admirers  of  Artot  and 
Vieuxtemips,  who  were  chiefly  the  French 
residents  of  the  city,  endeavoured  to  belittle 
the  capabilities  of  Ole  Bull,  who  nevertheless 
appears  to  have  been  very  successful,  and  if 
anything,  to  have  benefited  by  the  competi- 
tion. Musical  culture  was,  at  that  time,  in  a 
very  low  state  in  America,  and  one  may  judge 
somewhat  of  its  progress  by  the  press  criti- 
cisms of  the  artists  who  visited  the  country 
from  time  to  time.    It  will  be  seen  that  those 


150  Famous  Violmists. 

who,  like  Ole  Bull,  Sivori,  and  Remenyi,  ap- 
plied their  talents  to  the  elaboration  of  popu- 
lar airs  and  operatic  themes  were  able  to 
elicit  the  warmest  praise.  Vieuxtemps  ap- 
pears to  have  appealed  to  the  cultured 
minority  and  was  understood  and  appreciated 
by  very  few. 

Flowery  language  was  used  without  stint, 
and  was  frequently  misapplied  in  the  most 
ludicrous  manner,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing extract : 

"  Since  the  death  of  his  great  master,  the  weird 
Pa£:anini,  Ole  Bull  had  been  left  without  a  rival  in 
Europe.  Herwig,  Nagel,  Wallace,  Aitot,  and  De 
Beriot  can  only  '  play  second  fiddle '  to  this  king  of 
the  violin.  His  entrance  upon  the  stage  is  remark- 
ably modest,  and  after  the  Parisian  graces  of  Artot 
seems  a  little  awkward  ;  a  tip  of  his  bow  brings  a 
crash  from  the  orchestra.  He  then  lays  his  cheek 
caressingly  on  the  instrument,  which  gradually  awakes, 
and  wails,  and  moans,  like  an  infant  broken  of  its 
slumber.  Every  tone  seems  fraught  with  human 
passion.  At  one  time  he  introduces  a  dialogue,  in 
which  a  sweet  voice  complains  so  sadly  that  it  makes 
the  heart  ache  with  pity,   which  is   answered    from 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  1 5 1 

another  string  with  imprecations  so  violent  and 
threatening  that  one  almost  trembles  with  fear. 
We  fancied  that  a  young  girl  was  pleading  for  the 
life  of  her  lover,  and  receiving  only  curses  in  reply. 
At  the  close  of  the  first  piece,  the  '  Adagio  Maestoso,' 
there  was  one  universal  shout  of  applause,  which 
afforded  an  infinite  relief  to  a  most  enthusiastic  house 
that  had  held  its  breath  for  fifteen  minutes.  Ole  Bull 
came  before  the  curtain  and  bowed,  with  his  hand 
upon  his  heart.  There  is  something  different  in  his 
performance  from  that  of  any  other  artist,  and  yet  it 
is  difficult  to  describe  the  peculiarity  of  his  style,  ex- 
cept that  he  touches  all  the  strings  at  once,  and  plays 
a  distinct  accompaniment  with  the  fingers  of  his  right 
hand.  But  the  charm  is  in  the  genius  of  the  man 
and  the  grandeur  of  his  compositions.  He  knows 
how  to  play  upon  the  silver  cord  of  the  heart  which 
binds  us  to  a  world  of  beauty,  and  vibrates  only  when 
touched  by  a  master  hand." 

The  sentiments  and  emotions  aroused  in 
the  breast  of  this  critic  appear  to  have  been 
those  with  which  Paganini  inspired  his  audi- 
ence, when  he  played  a  duet  on  two  strings, 
as  related  in  an  earlier  chapter.  Ole  Bull 
was  a  child  of  nature,  he  gave  his  audience 
a  description  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  and 


152  Famous  Violinists. 

behold !  it  is  interpreted  as  a  story  of  human 
passions,  —  a  high  tribute  to  descriptive 
music. 

The  following  criticism  seems  more  in 
keeping  with  the  ideas  known  to  have  been 
held  by  the  violinist,  and  almost  leads  one  to 
imagine  that  the  critic  was  fortunate  enough 
to  obtain  an  interview  with  the  virtuoso  be- 
fore writing  his  account  : 

"  February,  1844. 
"To  what  shall  we  compare  Ole  Bull's  playing? 
Was  it  like  some  well-informed  individual  who  has 
seen  the  world  and  who  spices  his  tales  of  men  and 
things  with  song  and  story  —  now  describing  the 
beauties  of  Swiss  scenery,  now  repeating  the  air 
which  he  caught  up  one  moonlight  night  on  the 
Bosphorus,  and  anon  relating  a  stirring  joke  which 
he  gleaned  on  the  Boulevard.  Such  a  man  would 
create  an  impression  on  any  small  tea-party,  but  that 
violin  did  more  —  the  comparison  fails.  There  might 
be  to  him  who  chose  to  give  rein  to  his  fancy  a 
vision  at  one  moment  of  the  old  ivy-covered  church 
and  the  quiet  graveyard,  the  evening  sun  streaming 
through  the  rich  stained  glass,  the  organ  faintly  heard 
through  the  long  aisles  and  the  deep  chancel,  and 
around  and  about  the  singing  of  some  bird  of  late 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  153 

hours,  and  the  hum  of  the  bee  as  he  flew  by,  well 
laden,  to  his  storehouse  of  sweets. 

"  Then  the  clouds  flew  fearfully,  and  the  wind 
moaned  through  the  boughs  of  the  old  oak-tree  in  its 
winter  dishabille,  and  so  down  to  the  seashore,  when 
it  rushed  over  cliffs  and  crags  and  knocked  off  the  caps 
of  the  mad  waves  and  sped  on  like  a  t^Tant,  crashing 
everything  in  its  way  and  rejoicing  in  its  might.  And 
so  we  glided  oddly  but  easily  enough  into  the  ball- 
room, where  mirth  and  laughter,  bright  eyes,  fairy 
feet,  and  all  that  was  good  and  pleasant  to  behold 
flitted  by.  It  was  not  all  music  that  Ole  Bull's  violin 
gave  out.  There  were  old  memories  and  pleasant 
ones,  ideas  which  shaped  themselves  into  all  man- 
ners of  queer  visions ;  and  the  main  difference  be- 
tween Ole  Bull  and  those  I  have  heard  before  him 
seemed  to  me  to  consist  in  this  ^— that  whereas 
many  others  may  excite  and  hold  by  the  button,  as 
it  were,  the  organ  of  hearing  and  the  mind  therewith 
immediately  connected,  Ole  Bull  awakens  the  other 
senses  along  with  it  and  occupies  them  in  the  field  of 
imagination." 

In  1846  came  Sivori,  and  in  1848  Remenyi, 
both  artists  whose  desire  to  please  their  audi- 
ences took  them  far  from  the  path  of  the 
highest  musical  standard.  It  may  be  said 
with  truth  that  the  country  was  hardly  ready 


154  Famous  Violinists. 

for  musicianship  of  the  highest  quality,  and 
even  in  1872,  when  Wieniawski  came  with 
the  great  pianist  and  composer,  Rubinstein, 
the  two  were  accepted  on  their  reputation 
rather  than  on  their  merits,  which  were 
understood  by  a  comparatively  small  propor- 
tion of  their  audiences. 

Although  several  violinists  endeavoured 
to  copy  Paganini's  style,  or  at  least  to  learn 
as  much  as  possible  from  hearing  and  see- 
ing him  play,  there  was  only  one,  excepting 
Catarina  Calcagno,  who  received  direct  in- 
struction from  him,  and  on  whom  his  mantle 
was  said,  by  his  admirers,  to  have  fallen. 
That  one  was  Camillo  Sivori,  born  at  Genoa, 
June  6,  1 81 7. 

The  connecting  link  between  Sivori  and 
Paganini  began  very  early  in  the  career  of 
the  former.  Indeed  it  is  said  that  the  excite- 
ment of  his  mother,  on  hearing  Paganini  play 
at  a  concert,  caused  the  premature  birth  of 
the  future  disciple  of  the  great  artist.     Mar- 


5iV0RL 


#^ 


«^v" 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  155 

vellous  stories  are  told  of  Sivori's  infancy. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  months,  before  he 
had  ever  seen  or  heard  a  violin  player,  he 
continually  amused  himself  by  using  two 
pieces  of  stick  after  the  manner  of  the  violin 
and  bow,  and  singing  to  himself.  It  is  fair 
to  say  that  similar  precocity  in  other  children 
has  not  always  resulted  in  virtuosity.  A 
case  might  be  cited  of  a  very  young  person 
who  amused  himself  by  inverting  a  small 
chair,  and  imagining  that  he  was  a  street 
organist,  but  he  grew  to  maturity  without 
adopting  that  profession. 

At  two  years  of  age,  the  account  con- 
tinues, he  cried  out  lustily  for  a  violin,  and 
when  his  father,  reduced  to  submission  by 
the  boy's  importunity,  bought  him  a  child's 
violin,  he  at  once  began  to  apply  himself, 
morning,  noon,  and  night,  to  practising  on 
this  instrument,  and  without  any  aid  he  was 
able  in  a  short  time  to  play  many  airs  he 
had    heard    his    sisters    play   or    sing.     His 


156  Famous  Violmists. 

renown  spread  through  Genoa,  and  he  was 
invited  everywhere.  At  concerts  and  parties 
he  was  placed  upon  a  table  to  play,  and  he 
was  frequently  called  upon  to  perform  before 
the  king  and  the  queen-dowager.  He  must 
have  been  a  most  wilful  and  embarrassing 
child,  for  the  account  goes  on  to  say  that  he 
would  not  enter  a  church  unless  he  heard 
music ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  if  he  did  hear 
music  he  insisted  on  going  in,  or  else  he 
would  scream  and  make  a  terrible  scene. 

These  anecdotes,  told  by  an  effusive  ad- 
mirer, seem  rather  ridiculous,  but  when  Pa- 
ganini  visited  Genoa,  and  Sivori  was  six 
years  old,  the  virtuoso  took  a  great  deal  of 
interest  in  the  little  fellow  and  gave  him 
lessons.  He  also  wrote  a  concerto  for  him, 
and  six  short  sonatas  with  accompaniment 
for  guitar,  tenor,  and  'cello,  and  these  the 
young  artist  soon  played  in  public.  In  six 
months  Paganini  left  Genoa  and  desired  to 
take  his  young  pupil  with  him,  but  this  was 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  157 

not  allowed  by  the  parents,  and  Sivori  was 
placed  under  the  tuition  of  Costa.  Three 
years  later  Paganini  returned  to  Genoa,  and 
by  his  advice  his  protege  was  placed  under 
M.  Dellepaine,  who  taught  him  taste  and 
expression,  his  lessons  with  Costa  in  tech- 
nique continuing.  In  1827  Sivori  made  a 
concert  tour  with  M.  Dellepaine,  and  visited 
Paris,  where  his  playing  at  the  Conservatoire 
won  him  great  applause.  He  also  appeared 
in  England,  after  which  he  entered  upon 
another  serious  course  of  study  for  several 
years,  and  perfected  the  tone  which  enrap- 
tured the  world  for  so  long,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  studied  composition  under  Serra. 

In  1839  his  concert  tours  began  again, 
and  he  visited  Germany,  Russia,  Belgium, 
and  Paris,  where  he  played  at  the  Conserva- 
toire concerts  and  received  the  medal  of 
honour. 

Sivori  now  set  out  on  extensive  travels, 
and,   after    visiting   England,    proceeded,  in 


158  Famous  Violinists. 

1846,  to  America,  travelling  through  the 
United  States,  Mexico,  and  various  parts  of 
South  America,  spending  eight  years  in 
these  peregrinations,  and  amassing  a  con- 
siderable fortune.  During  this  great  tour 
he  met  with  many  adventures,  frequently 
travelling  on  horseback,  and  at  one  time 
being  at  death's  door  with  yellow  fever.  On 
his  return  to  Europe  he  shared  the  fate  of 
many  musicians  who  have  achieved  financial 
success,  and  lost  his  money  by  unfortunate 
investment,  which  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  resume  his  travels.  He  therefore  visited 
Great  Britain,  Switzerland,  Germany,  Spain, 
Portugal,  etc. 

He  was,  of  course,  compared  to  many  of 
the  great  violinists  of  his  time,  who  al]  had 
their  special  merits.  One  criticism,  in  which 
Sivori  is  compared  with  Spohr,  may  be  inter- 
esting :  "  Spohr  is  of  colossal  stature,  and 
looks  more  like  an  ancient  Roman  than  a 
Bruns wicker ;    Sivori    is    the    antithesis    of 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  159 

Spohr  in  stature.  Spohr  has  the  severe 
phlegmatic  Teutonic  aspect ;  Sivori  has  the 
flashing  Italian  eye  and  variability  of  feature. 
Spohr  stands  firm  and  still ;  Sivori' s  body  is 
all  on  the  swing,  he  tears  the  notes,  as  it 
were,  from  his  instrument.  Spohr's  refine- 
ment and  polish  have  been  the  characteris- 
tics of  his  playing ;  in  Sivori  it  is  wild  energy 
—  the  soul  in  arms  —  the  determination  to 
be  up  and  doing  —  the  daring  impulse  of 
youthful  genius.  Spohr's  playing  is  remark- 
able for  its  repose  and  finish  ;  Sivori  electri- 
fies by  the  most  powerful  appeals  to  the 
affections." 

Sivori  was  a  man  of  generous  impulses, 
and  was  seldom  appealed  to  in  vain  to  assist 
in  a  good  cause.  When  his  teacher,  M. 
Dellepaine,  was  taken  ill  and  was  unable 
temporarily  to  fill  his  post  of  first  violin  at 
the  theatre,  and  of  director  of  the  conserva- 
toire at  Genoa,  Sivori  replaced  him  in  both 
and  gave  him  the  entire  benefit  of  his  ser- 


i6o  Famous  Violinists. 

vices.  After  two  years  the  teacher  died,  and 
Sivori  still  held  the  two  places  an  entire  year 
for  the  benefit  of  the  widow,  until  a  situation 
was  procured  for  her  which  enabled  her  to 
live  without  further  assistance. 

At  one  time  Sivori  felt  that  the  instru- 
ment which  he  played  was  not  so  perfect  as 
to  satisfy  him.  He  asked  Paganini  to  sell 
him  one,  and  the  reply  was,  "  I  will  not  sell 
you  the  violin,  but  I  will  present  it  to  you 
in  compHment  to  your  high  talents."  Sivori 
travelled  to  Nice  to  receive  the  instrument 
from  his  master's  own  hands.  Paganini  was 
then  —  it  was  in  1840  —  in  a  deplorable  con- 
dition, and  could  hardly  speak.  He  signified 
a  desire  to  hear  his  pupil  play  once  more, 
and  Sivori,  withdrawing  to  a  room  a  little 
way  off,  so  that  the  sound  of  the  instrument 
would  not  be  too  loud,  played  whatever  Pa- 
ganini called  for.  About  two  weeks  later 
Paganini  died. 

In    185 1    Halle  wrote  of  him  as  follows: 


j8oo  to  1 8 JO.  i6i 

"  Sivori  was  here  lately,  but  caused  little 
furore  ;  such  rubbish  as  the  man  plays  now 
I  had  never  heard,  and  really,  as  an  artist, 
felt  ashamed  of  him." 

Sivori  continued  to  play  in  public  until 
1864,  when  he  visited  London  and  played 
at  the  Musical  Union  and  elsewhere,  but  his 
triumph  in  Paris  in  1862  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten. On  that  occasion  he  executed  Paganini's 
B  minor  concerto,  and  aroused  immense  en- 
thusiasm, although  he  played  immediately 
after  Alard,  who  was  at  that  time  a  prime 
favourite.  During  his  later  years  Sivori 
lived  in  retirement,  and  he  died  February  1 8, 
1894. 

He  was  the  first  person  allowed  to  play 
on  the  celebrated  violin  which  Paganini  be- 
queathed to  the  city  of  Genoa.  He  was  also 
the  first  to  play,  with  orchestra,  Mendels- 
sohn's Violin  Concerto  in  England.  This 
performance  was  at  the  Philharmonic  Society 
concert,  June  29,    1846. 


1 62  Famotcs  Violinists. 

Henry  Vieuxtemps  was  one  of  the  great- 
est violinists  of  his  time.  He  was  born  at 
Verviers,  in  Belgium,  in  1820,  and  was 
brought  up  in  a  musical  atmosphere.  So 
early  did  his  talent  develop,  that  he  played 
a  concerto  of  Rode  in  public  at  the  age  of  six, 
and  the  following  year  made  a  tour  with  his 
father  and  his  teacher,  Lecloux,  during  which 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  De  Beriot, 
before  whom  he  played.  During  four  years 
he  remained  a  pupil  of  De  Beriot,  and  when 
that  artist  left  Paris,  in  1831,  Vieuxtemps 
went  to  Brussels,  where  he  practised  hard, 
but  without  a  teacher,  until  1833,  when  he 
again  set  out  on  a  prolonged  concert  tour. 

From  this  time  on  he  seems  to  have  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  travelling,  for 
which  he  had  a  passion.  He  visited  all  parts 
of  Europe  and  met  most  of  the  celebrated 
musicians  of  the  day.  Spohr,  Molique, 
Schumann,  Paganini,  Henselt,  and  Richard 
Wagner  were  among  the  celebrities   whom 


i8oo  to  J 8 JO.  163 

he  met,  and  in  his  tours  he  was  associated 
with  Servais,  Thalberg,  and  other  well-known 
artists. 

Not  content  with  Europe  as  a  field  for 
conquest,  he  visited  America  in  1844,  and 
again  in  1857  and  in  1870. 

He  was  offered  many  excellent  positions, 
some  of  which  he  held  for  a  time  and  others 
he  declined.  In  1845  he  married  Josephine 
Eder,  an  eminent  pianist  of  Vienna,  and 
shortly  after  was  appointed  solo  violinist  to 
the  Emperor  of  Russia,  relinquishing  that 
post  six  years  later  in  order  to  travel  again. 
He  was  professor  at  the  Brussels  conserva- 
toire from  187 1  to  1873,  and  in  1872  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Academic  Royale 
of  Belgium,  on  which  occasion  he  read  a 
memoir  of  fitienne  Jean  Soubre. 

In  1868  he  suffered  a  double  bereavement 
through  the  deaths,  first  of  his  father,  and  a 
short  time  later  of  his  wife,  and,  to  divert  his 
mind  from  these  troubles,  he  undertook  a  tour 


164  Famous  Violinists. 

which  lasted  three  years.  During  1873  his 
active  career  was  cut  short  by  a  stroke  of 
paralysis  which  disabled  his  left  side.  He 
now  travelled  for  health's  sake,  and  went  to 
Algiers,  where  he  lived  quietly  for  several 
years.  His  life  was  brought  to  an  end  by 
a  drunken  Arab,  who  threw  a  large  stone  at 
him  while  he  was  riding  in  his  carriage  one 
day,  striking  him  on  the  head. 

As  a  violinist  Vieuxtemps  possessed  a 
wonderful  staccato,  both  on  the  up  and 
down  bow.  His  intonation  was  perfect.  He 
was  fond  of  strong  dramatic  accents  and 
contrasts.  As  a  composer  for  the  violin  he 
had  wider  success  than  any  one  since  Spohr, 
but  while  some  of  his  works  contain  really 
fine  ideas  worked  out  with  much  skill,  others 
are  merely  show  pieces  of  no  particular 
value. 

As  a  man  Vieuxtemps  had  a  gay  and 
restless  disposition.  He  was  not  easily 
depressed   by    trifles,    and    he    enjoyed   the 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  165 

freedom  of  a  life  of  constant  change  and 
travel,  and  it  was  during  his  travels  that 
most  of  his  best  compositions  were  written. 

During  the  last  few  years  of  his  active 
life,  after  his  paralytic  stroke  had  prevented 
his  playing,  he  suffered  much  from  his  ina- 
bility to  demonstrate  to  his  pupils  the  way 
in  which  certain  passages  should  be  played. 
Frequent  outbursts  of  rage  ensued,  of  which 
his  pupils  were  obliged  to  bear  the  brunt, 
even  to  being  prodded  with  his  iron-shod 
stick.  Sometimes  scenes  more  amusing 
would  occur,  as  when  some  grandees  would 
visit  the  class,  and  Vieuxtemps  would 
change  his  manner  from  smiles  and  affa- 
bility while  addressing  them,  to  scowls  and 
grimaces  while  talking  to  his  pupils,  the 
latter,  of  course,  being  invisible  to  the  vis- 
itors. 

When  Vieuxtemps  visited  America  in 
1857,  he  was  associated  with  Thalberg,  the 
pianist,    and    together    they    visited    many 


1 66  Famous  Violinists. 

towns  and  cities.  Amongst  the  gems  of 
American  newspaper  criticism  they  no  doubt 
took  with  them  several  copies  of  the  follow- 
ing, which  appeared  in  the  local  paper  of  a 
town  in  Tennessee,  and  was  headed  *'Thal- 
berg  and  Vieuxtemps :" 

"  These  distinguished  individuals  are  now  at  Nash- 
ville, giving  high  pressure  concerts,  and  selling  tickets 
at  two  dollars  apiece,  when  convenient.  A  stage-load 
and  a  half  or  two  stage-loads  of  ladies  and  gentlemen 
went  down  from  this  place  to  hear  them.  Thalberg 
is  said  to  be  death,  in  its  most  horried  shape,  on  the 
piano,  and  it  is  probably  true ;  while  Vieuxtemps  is 
represented  as  a  fiddler  of  considerable  skill,  consid- 
ering his  opportunities,  which  he  no  doubt  is.  We 
haven't  heard  either  of  them  since  they  were  quite 
small,  and  unless  they  come  out  here  and  reduce  the 
price  of  their  tickets  to  their  value,  —  say  about  sixty- 
two  and  a  half  cents  a  dozen,  —  it  is  possible  that  we 
sha'n't  hear  them  any  more.  When  we  ride  forty 
miles,  at  an  expense  of  at  least  ten  dollars,  extras  not 
included,  to  hear  a  couple  of  itinerant  Dutchmen  tor- 
ture a  brace  of  unoffending  instruments  into  fits,  until 
the  very  spirit  of  music  howls  in  sympathy,  if  some 
one  will  cave  in  our  head  with  a  brickbat,  we  will 
feel  greatly  obliged. 

"But   seriously,  Thalberg  and  Vieuxtemps  have 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  167 

never  done  us  any  harm  that  we  know  of,  and  we 
don't  suppose  they  intend  to.  We  wouldn't  much 
mind  hearing  their  music,  for  no  doubt  it  is  nearly, 
if  not  quite,  as  good  as  that  of  the  average  common 
run  of  Dutchmen,  which,  as  the  latter  will  tell  you,  is 
saying  a  good  deal." 

And  yet  musical  culture  was  said  to  be  in 
its  infancy  in  America  at  that  time ! 

In  Boston,  Vieuxtemps,  after  an  absence 
of  fourteen  years,  was  criticised  thus:  "We 
cannot  see  in  M.  Vieuxtemps  the  spark  of 
genius,  but  he  is  a  complete  musician,  and 
the  master  of  his  instrument.  Tone  so  rich, 
so  pure,  so  admirably  prolonged  and  nour- 
ished, so  literally  drawn  from  the  instrument, 
we  have  scarcely  heard  before;  nor  such 
vigour,  certainty,  and  precision,  such  nobility 
and  truth  in  every  motion  and  effect.  We 
recognise  the  weakness  for  sterile  difificulties 
of  extreme  harmonics." 

Vieuxtemps  was  also  subject  to  compari- 
son with  Sivori,  rather  to  the  former's  dis- 
paragement.    ''The  one  plays  the  violin  like 


1 68  Famous  Violinists. 

a  great  musician,  the  other  like  a  spoiled 
child  of  nature,  who  has  endowed  him  with 
the  most  precious  gifts.  Intrepid  wrestlers, 
both,  and  masters  of  their  instrument,  they 
each  employ  a  different  manner.  M.  Vieux- 
temps  never  lets  you  forget  that  he  plays  the 
violin,  that  the  wonders  of  mechanism  which 
he  accomplishes  under  your  eye  are  of  the 
greatest  difficulty  and  have  cost  him  immense 
pains,  whereas  M.  Sivori  has  the  air  of  being 
ignorant  that  he  holds  in  his  hands  one  of 
the  most  complicated  instruments  that  exists, 
and  he  sings  to  you  like  Malibran.  He  sings, 
he  weeps,  he  laughs  on  the  violin  like  a  very 
demon." 

The  following  paragraph  is  a  good  sample 
of  New  York  musical  journalism  in  the  year 

1844: 

"  Vieuxtemps's  first  concert  on  Monday  night  was 
a  very  stylish  jam.  He  is  a  small,  puny-built  man, 
with  gold  rings  in  his  ears,  and  a  face  of  genteel 
ugliness,  but  touchingly  lugubrious  in  its  expression. 
With  his  violin  at  his  shoulder,  he  has  the  air  of  a 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  169 

husband  undergoing  the  nocturnal  penance  of  walk- 
ing the  room  with  'the  child'  —  and  performing  it, 
too,  with  unaffected  pity.  He  plays  with  the  purest 
and  coldest  perfection  of  art,  and  is  doubtless  more 
learned  on  the  violin  than  either  of  the  rival  perform- 
ers [Ole  Bull  and  Artot],  but  there  is  a  vitreous  clear- 
ness and  precision  in  his  notes  that  would  make  them 
more  germane  to  the  humour  of  before  breakfast  than 
to  the  warm  abandon  of  vespertide.  His  sister  travels 
with  him  (a  pretty  blonde,  very  unlike  him),  and  ac- 
companies him  on  the  piano." 

Vieuxtemps  also  visited  America  in  1870, 
with  the  celebrated  singer  Christine  Nilsson. 

Among  the  celebrated  violinists  of  this 
period  must  be  mentioned  Bernhard  Mo- 
lique,  of  whom  Sir  Charles  Halle  says  that 
he  was  a  good  executant,  knowing  no  diffi- 
culties, but  his  style  was  polished  and  cold, 
and  he  never  carried  his  public  with  him. 
"Ernst,"  he  continues,  "was  all  passion  and 
fire,  regulated  by  reverence  for  and  clear 
understanding  of  the  masterpieces  he  had 
to  interpret.  Sainton  was  extremely  elegant 
and  finished  in  his  phrasing,   but  vastly  in- 


I/O  Famous  Violinists. 

ferior  to  the  others.  Vieuxtemps  was  an 
admirable  violinist  and  a  great  musician, 
whose  compositions  deserve  a  much  higher 
rank  than  it  is  the  fashion  to  accord  them." 

Molique  was  the  son  of  a  town  musician 
of  Nuremberg,  and  became  a  composer  whose 
works  have  stood  the  test  of  time.  He  was 
a  pupil  of  Kreutzer  and  of  Spohr,  and  held 
the  position  of  director  and  first  violinist 
of  the  royal  band  at  Stuttgart.  He  had  a 
number  of  excellent  pupils,  of  whom  John  T. 
Carrodus  was  the  best  known.  He  died  at 
Stuttgart  in  1869. 

Henry  Gamble  Blagrove  was  a  musical 
prodigy,  who  began  the  study  of  the  violin 
at  the  age  of  four,  and  appeared  in  public  a 
year  later.  He  was  born  at  Nottingham  in 
181 1,  and  at  six  years  of  age  played  at 
Drury  Lane.  He  studied  abroad  with 
Spohr,  and  appeared  in  Vienna  in  1836, 
but  the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  spent 
in  England,  where  he  was  soloist  in  several 


i8oo  to  1 8 JO.  171 

of  the  best  orchestras.  He  was  a  man  of 
refreshing  modesty,  and  was  held  in  high 
esteem.      He  died  in  London  in  1872. 

Jacob  Dont,  of  Vienna,  and  Jean  Dancla, 
a  French  violinist,  both  belong  to  this  period, 
and  were  teachers  of  reputation. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OLE    BULL. 


"  A  TYPICAL  Norseman,  erect  of  bearing, 
with  a  commanding  presence  and  mobile, 
kindly  face,  from  which  the  eyes  shone  clear 
and  fearless  as  the  spirits  of  old  Norway 
hovering  over  his  native  mountains.  He  was 
a  man  to  evoke  respect  and  love  under  all 
conditions,  and,  when  he  stepped  before  an 
audience,  roused  an  instantaneous  throb  of 
sympathy,  of  interest,  before  the  sweep  of 
his  magical  bow  enthralled  their  souls  with 
its  melodious  measures."  Such  is  an  excel- 
lent pen  picture  of  Ole  Bull,  who  during  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  known 
far  and  wide  as  a  great  violinist. 

172 


Ole  Bull.  173 

Among  the  celebrated  musicians  of  all 
nations,  Ole  Bull  will  always  remain  a  strik- 
ing figure.  As  a  musician,  none  so  eminent 
has  been  so  essentially  a  self-made  man,  none 
has  grown  up  with  so  little  influence  from 
outside,  none  with  a  technique  so  essentially 
self-discovered.  As  a  son  of  his  country, 
none  has  retained  so  sturdy  a  sense  of  patriot- 
ism ;  none  has,  amid  the  more  brilliant  sur- 
roundings of  a  life  spent  in  the  gayest  cities 
of  the  world,  refused  to  be  weaned  from  the 
poor  northern,  half-dependent  state  from 
which  he  issued  a  penniless  lad. 

Olaus  Borneman  Bull  was  bom  at  Bergen, 
in  Norway,  February  5,  18 10,  and  was  the 
eldest  of  ten  children.  His  father  was  a 
physician  and  apothecary.  He  was  musical, 
as  were  several  other  members  of  his  family, 
and  little  Ole's  love  for  music  was  fostered 
to  a  great  degree  at  home  by  the  Tuesday 
quartet  meetings,  at  which  his  Uncle  Jens 
plaved  the  'cello. 


174  Famous  Violinists, 

In  the  early  part  of  the  century,  the  prov- 
erb, '*  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child," 
was  regarded  as  the  foundation  of  education 
in  most  countries,  and  few  children  were 
allowed  to  spoil.  All  childish  desires  which 
conflicted  with  parental  ideas  were  promptly 
suppressed  by  "  the  rod,"  until  by  sheer 
strength  they  proved  to  be  unsuppressible. 
Then  they  became  great  virtues.  It  was 
thus  with  Ole  Bull.  His  first  desire  to  hear 
the  quartet  music,  which  he  gratified  by  hid- 
ing under  sofas  or  behind  curtains,  was 
rewarded  with  the  rod,  —  for  he  should  have 
been  in  bed.  After  a  time  a  concession  was 
made  through  the  intervention  of  Uncle  Jens, 
and  Ole  was  allowed  to  become  familiar  with 
the  best  music  of  the  day. 

Uncle  Jens  used  to  amuse  himself  with  the 
small  boy's  susceptibility  to  music,  and  would 
sometimes  shut  him  up  in  the  'cello  case, 
promising  him  some  candy  if  he  would  stay 
there  while  he   (Uncle  Jens)  played.      But 


Ole  Bull.  175 

Ole  could  never  endure  the  ordeal  for  long. 
He  had  to  come  out  where  he  could  see  and 
hear. 

His   first  violin  was  given  him  by  Uncle 
Jens  when  he  was  five  years  old,  and  he  soon 
learned  to  play  it  well  without  any  instructor. 
He  was  not  allowed  to  practise  music  until 
his  study  hours    were  over,   and    occasional 
breaches  of  this  rule  kept  *'the  rod"  active. 
Ole  Bull's  first  instructor  was  a  violinist 
named  Paulsen,  a  man  of  convivial  tempera- 
ment, who  used  to  come  and  enjoy  the  hospi- 
tality of  Ole's  father  and  play  "  as  long  as 
there  was  a  drop   in  the   decanter,"  with  a 
view  to   educating  the  young  artist,   as    he 
said.      But   Ole's  parents   were  thinking  of 
prohibiting  the  violin  altogether  on  the  plea 
that  it  interfered  too  much  with  his  studies, 
when  the  tide  of  affairs  was  changed  by  the 
following  incident. 

One     Tuesday     evening,     Paulsen,     who 
played  first  violin  in  the  quartet,  had  been  so 


176  Fmnoiis  Violinists. 

convivial  that  he  was  unable  to  continue.  In 
this  unfortunate  dilemma  Uncle  Jens  called 
upon  Ole,  saying,  "  Come,  my  boy,  do  your 
best,  and  you  shall  have  a  stick  of  candy." 
Ole  quickly  accepted  the  challenge,  and  as 
the  quartet  was  one  which  he  had  several 
times  heard,  he  played  each  movement  cor- 
rectly, much  to  the  astonishment  of  all 
present. 

This  happened  on  his  eighth  birthday,  and 
the  event  marked  an  epoch  in  his  life,  for  he 
was  elected  an  active  member  of  the  Tues- 
day club,  and  began  to  take  lessons  regularly 
of  the  convivial  Paulsen. 

There  is  a  pathetic  story  of  how  Ole 
induced  his  father  to  buy  a  new  violin  for 
him,  and,  unable  to  restrain  his  desire  to  play 
it,  he  got  up  in  the  night,  opened  the  case, 
and  touched  the  strings.  This  furtive  touch 
merely  served  to  whet  his  appetite,  and  he 
tried  the  bow.  Then  he  began  to  play  very 
softly ;  then,   carried  away  with  enthusiasm, 


Ole  Bull.  I  jj 

he  played  louder  and  louder,  until  suddenly 
he  felt  the  sharp  sting  of  his  father's  whip 
across  his  shoulders,  and  the  little  violin  fell 
to  the  floor  and  was  broken. 

From  1819  to  1822  Ole  Bull  received  no 
violin  instruction,  for  Paulsen  had  left  Bergen 
without  explanation,  though  it  has  been 
hinted  that  Ole  Bull  had  outgrown  him, 
and  on  that  account  he  thought  it  wise  to 
depart. 

In  1822  a  Swedish  violinist  came  to  Bergen, 
and  Ole  took  lessons  of  him.  His  name  was 
Lundholm,  and  he  was  a  pupil  of  Baillot. 
Lundholm  was  very  strict  and  would  admit  of 
no  departure  from  established  rules.  He 
quite  failed  to  make  the  boy  hold  his  instru- 
ment according  to  the  accepted  method,  but 
his  custom  of  making  his  pupil  stand  upright, 
with  his  head  and  back  against  the  wall  while 
playing,  no  doubt  gave  to  him  that  repose 
and  grace  of  bearing  which  was  so  noticeable 
in    later   years.       Lundholm    was,    however, 


178  Famous  Violinists. 

quite  unable  to  control  his  precocious  pupil 
and  a  coolness  soon  sprung  up  between  them, 
which  appears  to  have  culminated  in  the 
following  incident. 

On  a  Tuesday  evening,  at  one  of  the 
regular  meetings,  Lundholm  played  Baillot's 
"  Caprizzi,"  but  Ole  Bull  was  much  dis- 
appointed at  the  pedantic,  phlegmatic  manner 
in  which  he  rendered  the  passionate  phrases. 
When  the  company  went  to  supper  Ole 
found  on  the  leader's  music-rack  a  concerto 
of  Spohr's,  and  began  to  try  it  over. 
Carried  away  with  the  music,  he  forgot 
himself,  and  was  discovered  by  Lundholm  on 
his  return,  and  scolded  for  his  presumption. 

*'What  impudence!"  said  the  violinist. 
**  Perhaps  you  think  you  could  play  this  at 
sight,  boy.?"  "Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "I 
think  I  could."  His  remark  was  heard  by 
the  rest  of  the  company,  who  were  now 
returning,  and  they  all  insisted  that  he 
should  try  it.     He  played  the  allegro,  and 


Ole  Bull.  179 

all  applauded  except  Lundholm,  who  looked 
angry.  "You  think  you  can  play  anything," 
he  said,  and,  taking  a  caprice  of  Paganini's 
from  the  stand,  he  added,  ''Try  this."  It 
happened  that  this  caprice  was  a  favourite 
of  the  young  violinist,  who  had  learned  it 
by  heart.  He  therefore  played  it  in  fine 
style,  and  received  the  hearty  applause  of 
the  little  audience.  Lundholm,  however, 
instead  of  raving,  was  more  polite  and  kind 
than  he  had  ever  been  before,  and  told  Ole 
that  with  practice  he  might  hope  to  equal 
him  (Lundholm)  some  day. 

Years  afterwards,  when  Ole  Bull  was 
making  a  concert  tour  through  Norway,  and 
was  travelling  in  a  sleigh  over  the  snow- 
covered  ground,  he  met  another  sleigh 
coming  from  the  opposite  direction,  of  which 
the  occupant  recognised  him,  and  made 
signs  to  him  to  stop.  It  was  Lundholm. 
''Well,"  shouted  he,  "now  that  you  are  a 
famous    violinist,    remember    that    when    I 


i8o  Famous  Violinists. 

heard  you  play  Paganini  I  predicted  that 
your  career  would  be  a  remarkable  one." 

"Oh,"  exclahned  Ole  Bull,  ''you  were 
mistaken,  for  I  did  not  read  that  piece,  I 
knew  it  before."  "  It  makes  no  difference," 
was  the  reply,  as  the  sleighs  parted. 

As  young  Ole  approached  manhood,  and 
developed  in  strength  and  stature,  we  find 
him  asserting  his  independence.  His  father, 
who  intended  him  to  be  a  clergyman,  en- 
gaged a  private  tutor  named  Musaeus,  who, 
when  he  found  that  Ole's  musical  tastes 
conflicted  with  his  studies,  forbade  him  to 
play  the  violin,  so  that  the  boy  could  only 
indulge  at  night  in  an  inclination  which, 
under  restraint,  became  a  passion.  Ole  and 
his  brothers  had  long  and  patiently  borne 
both  with  cross  words  and  blows  from  this 
worthy  pedagogue,  and  at  length  decided  to 
rebel.  Accordingly  when  one  morning  at 
half-past  four  the  tutor  appeared  and 
dragged    out   the   youngest   from    his   warm 


Ole  Btdl.  i8i 

bed,  Ole  sprang  upon  him  and  a  violent 
struggle  ensued.  The  household  was 
aroused,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  parents 
appeared  on  the  spot  in  time  to  see  Musaeus 
prostrate  upon  the  floor  and  suing  for 
peace.  Contrary  to  his  expectations,  Ole 
found  himself  taken  more  into  his  father's 
confidence,  and  as  a  result  he  became  more 
desirous  than  ever  of  carrying  out  his  father's 
wishes. 

In  1828  he  went  to  the  university  in 
Christiania,  where,  in  spite  of  the  best  inten- 
tions, he  soon  found  himself  musical  director 
of  the  Philharmonic  and  Dramatic  Societies, 
a  position  which  gave  him  independence, 
and  somewhat  consoled  him  for  his  failure 
to  pass  his  entrance  examinations  for  the 
university.  His  father  reluctantly  forgave 
him,  and  he  was  now,  in  spite  of  everything, 
fairly  launched  upon  a  musical  career. 

He  was  not  long  contented  to  remain  in 
Christiania.      His    mind    was    in    a    state    of 


1 82  Famous  Violinists. 

restless  agitation,  and  he  determined  to  go 
to  Cassel,  and  seek  out  Spohr,  whose  opinion 
he  desired  to  secure.  He  accordingly  left 
Christiania  on  May  i8,  1829.  His  departure 
was  so  hurried  that  he  left  his  violin  behind, 
and  it  had  to  be  forwarded  to  him  by  his 
friends.  This  suddenness  was  probably 
caused  by  the  fact  that  he  had  taken  part 
in  the  observance  of  Independence  Day  on 
May  17th,  a  celebration  which  had  been 
interdicted  by  the  government. 

On  reaching  Cassel  he  went  to  Spohr, 
who  accorded  him  a  cold  reception.  "  I  have 
come  more  than  five  hundred  miles  to  hear 
you,"  said  Ole  Bull,  wishing  to  be  polite. 
''  Very  well,"  was  the  reply,  "  you  can  now 
go  to  Nordhausen  ;  I  am  to  attend  a  musical 
festival  there."  Bull  therefore  went  to 
Nordhausen,  where  he  heard  a  quartet  by 
Maurer,  of  which  Spohr  played  the  first 
violin  part.  He  was  so  overwhelmed  with 
disappointment  at  the  manner  in  which  the 


Olc  Bull.  183 

quartet  was  played  by  the  four  masters  that 
he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  de- 
ceived in  his  aspirations,  and  had  no  true 
calling  for  music. 

Spohr  was  a  most  methodical  man,  and 
had  no  appreciation  for  wild  genius.  He  saw 
only  the  many  faults  of  the  self-taught  youth, 
and  coldly  advised  him  to  give  up  his  idea  of 
a  musical  career,  declining  to  accept  him  as  a 
pupil.  Some  five  years  later.  Bull  having  in 
the  meantime  refused  to  accept  this  advice, 
which  did  not  coincide  with  his  own  inclina- 
tions, Spohr  heard  him  play,  and  wrote  thus 
of  him  :  ''  His  wonderful  playing  and  sureness 
of  his  left  hand  are  \vorthy  of  the  highest 
admiration,  but,  unfortunately,  like  Paganini, 
he  sacrifices  what  is  artistic  to  something 
that  is  not  quite  suitably  to  the  noble  instru- 
ment. His  tone,  too,  is  bad,  and  since  he 
prefers  a  bridge  that  is  quite  plain,  he  can 
use  A  and  D  strings  only  in  the  lower  posi- 
tions, and  even  then  pianissimo.     This  ren- 


184  Faniotts  Violinists. 

ders  his  playing  (when  he  does  not  let  himself 
loose  with  some  of  his  own  pieces)  monoto- 
nous in  the  extreme.  We  noticed  this  par- 
ticularly in  two  Mozart  quartets  he  played 
at  my  house.  Otherwise  he  plays  with  a  good 
deal  of  feeling,  but  without  refined  taste." 

After  his  discouraging  interview  with 
Spohr,  Ole  Bull  returned  to  Norway,  making, 
on  the  way,  a  short  visit  to  Gottingen,  where 
he  became  involved  in  a  duel. 

Feeling  that  his  own  capabilities  were 
worth  nothing,  after  what  he  had  seen  and 
heard  in  Germany,  Ole  Bull  returned  home 
in  a  despondent  state  of  mind,  but,  on  passing 
through  a  town  where  he  had  once  led  the 
theatre  orchestra,  he  was  recognised,  wel- 
comed, and  compelled  to  direct  a  perform- 
ance, and  thus  he  o;ice  more  fell  under  the 
influence  of  music,  and  began  to  apply  him- 
self vigorously  to  improvement. 

In  1 83 1  he  went  to  Paris  in  order  to  hear 
Paganini,  and  if  possible  to  find  some  oppor- 


Ole  Bull.  185 

tunity  to  improve  himself.  He  failed  to 
enter ,  the  Conservatoire,  but  he  succeeded 
in  hearing  Paganini,  and  this,  according  to 
his  own  account,  was  the  turning-point  of 
his  life.  Paganini' s  playing  made  an  immense 
impression  on  him,  and  he  threw  himself 
with  the  greatest  ardour  into  his  technical 
studies,  in  order  that  he  might  emulate  the 
feats  performed  by  the  great  Italian. 

His  stay  in  Paris  was  full  of  adventure.  He 
was  hampered  by  poverty,  and  frequently  in 
the  depths  of  despair.  At  one  time  he  is  said 
to  have  attempted  suicide  by  drowning  in 
the  Seine.  There  is  also  a  story  told  to  the 
effect  that  the  notorious  detective,  Vidocq, 
who  lived  in  the  same  house  with  him,  and 
knew  something  of  his  circumstances,  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  risk  five  francs  in  a 
gambling  saloon.  Vidocq  stood  by  and 
watched  the  game,  and  Ole  Bull  came  away 
the  winner  of  eight  hundred  francs,  presum- 
ably because  the  detective  was  known,  and 


1 86  Famous  Violinists, 

the  proprietors  of  the  saloon  considered  dis- 
cretion to  be  the  better  part  of  valour.  It 
was  a  delicate  method  of  making  the  young 
man  a  present  in  a  time  of  difficulty,  but  one 
of  which  the  moral  effect  could  hardly  fail  to 
be  injurious. 

At  one  time,  when  he  was  ill  and  homeless, 
he  entered  a  house  in  the  Rue  des  Martyrs 
in  which  there  were  rooms  to  let.  He  was 
received  and  treated  kindly,  and  was  nursed 
through  a  long  illness  by  the  landlady  and 
her  granddaughter. 

He  tried  to  secure  a  place  in  the  orchestra 
of  the  Opera  Comique,  but  his  arrogance  lost 
him  the  position,  for  when  he  was  requested 
to  play  a  piece  at  sight,  it  seemed  to  him  so 
simple  that  he  asked  at  which  end  he  should 
begin.  This  offence  caused  him  to  be  rejected 
without  a  hearing. 

Fortune,  however,  began  at  last  to  smile 
upon  him  when  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
M.    Lacour,   a  violin  maker,   who  conceived 


Ole  Bull.  187 

the  idea  of  engaging  him  to  show  off  his 
violins.  Ole  Bull  accordingly  played  on  one  of 
them  at  a  soiree  given  by  the  Duke  of  Riario, 
Italian  charge  d'affaires  in  Paris.  He  was 
almost  overcome  by  the  smell  of  assafoetida 
which  emanated  from  the  varnish,  and  which 
was  caused  by  the  heat.  Neverthless,  he 
played  finely,  and  as  a  result  was  invited 
to  breakfast  the  next  morning  by  the  Duke 
of  Montebello,  Marshal  Ney's  son.  This 
brought  him  into  contact  with  Chopin,  and 
shortly  afterwards  he  gave  his  first  concert 
under  the  duke's  patronage,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  Ernst,  Chopin,  and  other  cele- 
brated artists. 

He  now  made  a  concert  tour  through 
Switzerland  to  Italy,  and  on  reaching  Milan 
he  played  at  La  Scala,  where  he  made  an 
immense  popular  success,  but  drew  from  one 
of  the  journals  a  scathing  criticism,  which, 
however  humiliating  it  may  have  been,  struck 
him  by  its  truth. 


1 88  Famous  Violinists. 

"  M.  Bull  played  compositions  by  Spohr,  May- 
seder,  and  Paganini  without  understanding  the  true 
character  of  the  music,  which  he  marred  by  adding 
something  of  his  own.  It  is  quite  obvious  that  what 
he  adds  comes  from  genuine  and  original  talent,  from 
his  own  musical  individuality ;  but  he  is  not  master 
of  himself ;  he  has  no  style  ;  he  is  an  untrained  musi- 
cian. If  he  be  a  diamond,  he  is  certainly  in  the  rough 
and  unpoHshed." 

Ole  Bull  sought  out  the  writer  of  this  criti- 
cism, who  gave  him  valuable  advice,  and  for 
six  months  he  devoted  himself  to  ardent 
study  under  the  guidance  of  able  masters. 
In  this  way  he  learned  to  know  himself,  the 
nature  and  limitations  of  his  own  talent. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  point  in  Ole  Bull's 
career  at  which  he  became  celebrated,  and 
this  was  due  to  accident.  He  was  at  Bologna, 
where  De  Beriot  and  Malibran  were  to  appear 
at  one  of  the  Philharmonic  concerts.  By 
chance  Malibran  heard  that  De  Beriot  was  to 
receive  a  smaller  sum  than  that  which  had 
been  agreed  upon  for  her  services,  and  in  a 
moment  of  pique  she  sent  word  that  she  was 


Olc  BttlL  189 

unable  to  appear  on  account  of  indisposition. 
De  Beriot  also  declared  himself  to  be  suffer- 
ing from  a  sprained  thumb. 

It  happened  that  Madame  Colbran  (Ros- 
sini's first  wife)  had  one  day  heard  Ole  Bull 
practising  as  she  passed  his  window,  and  now 
she  remembered  the  fact,  and  advised  the 
Marquis  Zampieri,  who  was  the  director  of 
the  concerts,  to  hunt  up  the  young  violinist. 
Accordingly,  Ole  Bull,  who  had  gone  to  bed 
very  early,  was  roused  by  a  tap  on  the  door, 
and  invited  to  improvise  on  the  spot  for 
Zampieri.  Bull  was  then  hurried  off,  with- 
out even  time  to  dress  himself  suitably  for 
the  occasion,  and  placed  before  a  most  dis- 
tinguished audience,  which  contained  the 
Duke  of  Tuscany  and  other  celebrities, 
besides  De  Beriot,  with  his  arm  in  a  sling. 

His  playing  charmed  and  captivated  the 
audience,  although  he  was  almost  overcome 
with  exhaustion.  After  taking  some  food 
and  wine  he  appeared  again,  and  this  time  he 


190  Famous  Violinists. 

asked  for  a  theme  on  which  to  improvise. 
He  was  given  three,  and,  instead  of  making  a 
selection,  he  took  all  three  and  interwove 
them  in  so  brilliant  a  manner  that  he  carried 
the  audience  by  storm.  He  was  at  once 
engaged  for  the  next  concert,  and  made  such 
success  that  he  was  accompanied  to  his  hotel 
by  a  torchlight  procession,  and  his  carriage 
drawn  home  by  the  excited  people. 

Ole  Bull  continued  his  triumphant  course 
through  Italy.  At  Lucca  he  played  at  the 
duke's  residence,  where  the  queen-dowager 
met  with  a  surprise,  as  Ole  refused  to  begin 
playing  until  she  stopped  talking.  At  Naples 
he  experienced  the  misfortune  of  having  his 
violin  stolen,  and  he  was  obliged  to  buy  a 
Nicholas  Amati,  for  which  he  paid  a  very 
high  price.  After  playing  and  making  a  great 
success  in  Rome,  he  returned  to  Paris,  where 
he  now  found  the  doors  of  the  Grand  Opera 
open  to  him,  and  he  gave  several  concerts 
there. 


Ole  Bull.  191 

In  1836  he  married  Felicie  Villernot,  the 
granddaughter  of  the  lady  in  whose  house  he 
had  met  with  so  much  kindness  during  his 
first  stay  in  Paris. 

Following  the  advice  of  Rossini,  he  went 
to  London,  where  he  made  his  usual  success, 
notwithstanding  the  intrigues  of  certain 
musicians,  who  endeavoured  to  discredit 
him.  Such  was  his  popularity  in  England 
that  he  received  for  one  concert,  at  Liverpool, 
the  sum  of  p{^8oo,  and  in  sixteen  months' 
time  he  gave  two  hundred  and  seventy-four 
concerts  in  the  United  Kingdom. 

He  now  decided  to  visit  Germany,  and  on 
his  way  through  Paris  he  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Paganini,  who  greeted  him  with  the 
utmost  cordiality.  He  went  through  Ger- 
many giving  many  concerts,  and  visited 
Cassel,  where  he  was  now  received  by  Spohr 
with  every  mark  of  distinction.  He  played 
in  Berlin,  v/here  his  success  was  great,  not- 
withstanding   some    adverse  criticism.       He 


192  Famous  Violinists. 

also  played  in  Vienna  and  Buda-Pesth,  and 
so  on  through  Russia.  At  St.  Petersburg  he 
gave  several  concerts  before  audiences  of 
five  thousand  people.  He  now  went  through 
Finland  and  so  on  to  Sweden  and  Norway, 
where  he  was  feted. 

Although  closely  followed  by  Vieuxtemps 
and  Artot,  Ole  Bull  was  the  first  celebrated 
violinist  to  visit  America,  and  in  1843  he  made 
his  first  trip,  landing  in  Boston  in  November 
of  that  year  and  proceeding  directly  to  New 
York,  playing  for  the  first  time  on  Evacuation 
Day.  "  John  Bull  went  out  on  this  day,"  he 
said,  "and  Ole  Bull  comes  in."  He  remained 
two  years  in  the  United  States,  during  which 
time  he  played  in  two  hundred  concerts  and 
met  with  many  remarkable  adventures. 
During  his  sojourn  he  wrote  a  piece  called 
**  Niagara,"  which  he  played  for  the  first  time 
in  New  York,  and  which  became  very  popular. 
He  also  wrote  "The  Solitude  of  the  Prairies," 
which  won  more  immediate  success. 


Ole  Bull.  193 

He  travelled  during  these  two  years  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  miles,  and  played 
in  every  city  of  importance.  He  is  estimated 
to  have  netted  by  his  trip  over  $80,000,  be- 
sides which  he  contributed  more  than  $20,000, 
by  concerts,  to  charitable  institutions.  No 
artist  ever  visited  the  United  States  and 
received  so  many  honours. 

In  1852  he  returned  to  America,  and  this 
time  he  was  destined  to  meet  with  tribulation. 
It  was  his  desire  to  aid  the  poor  of  his  coun- 
try by  founding  a  colony.  He  therefore 
bought  a  tract  of  land  of  125,000  acres  in 
Potter  County,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  inaugura- 
tion of  which  he  stated  his  purpose  :  "  We 
are  to  found  a  New  Norway,  consecrated  to 
liberty,  baptised  with  independence,  and  pro- 
tected by  the  Union's  mighty  flag."  Some 
three  hundred  houses  were  built,  with  a  store 
and  a  church,  and  a  castle  on  a  mountain, 
which  was  designed  for  his  permanent  home. 
Hundreds   flocked    to    the  new   colony,   and 


194  Famous  Violinists. 

the  scheme  took  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
fortune. 

Ole  Bull  now  started  on  a  concert  tour 
together  with  little  Adelina  Patti,  her  sister 
Amalia  Patti  Strakosch,  and  Mr.  Maurice 
Strakosch.  Patti  was  then  only  eight  years 
old,  and  was  already  exciting  the  wonder  of 
all  who  heard  her. 

When  crossing  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  his 
violin  was  stolen  by  a  native  porter,  and  Ole 
Bull  was  obliged  to  remain  behind  to  find  his 
instrument,  while  the  company  went  on  to 
California.  He  was  now  taken  down  with  yel- 
low fever,  and  owing  to  a  riot  in  the  town  he 
was  entirely  neglected,  and  was  obliged  to 
creep  off  his  bed  on  to  the  floor  in  order  to 
escape  the  bullets  which  were  flying  about. 
On  his  recovery  he  set  out  for  San  Francisco, 
but  the  season  was  too  late  for  successful  con- 
certs. He  was  miserably  weak,  and  when  he 
played  his  skin  would  break  and  bleed  as  he 
pressed  the  strings. 


Ole  BtilL  195 

He  now  heard  that  there  was  some  trouble 
in  regard  to  his  title  to  the  land  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and,  hastening  to  Philadelphia,  he  was 
legally  notified  that  he  was  trespassing. 

It  transpired  that  the  man  who  had  sold 
the  land  to  Ole  Bull  had  no  claim  to  it  what- 
ever, and  had  perpetrated  a  barefaced  swindle, 
and  now,  having  the  money,  he  dared  his  vic- 
tim to  do  his  worst.  The  actual  owner  of  the 
land,  who  had  come  forward  to  assert  his 
rights,  became  interested  in  the  scheme,  and 
was  willing  to  sell  the  land  at  a  low  price,  but 
Ole  now  had  no  money.  He  instituted  legal 
proceedings  against  the  swindler,  who,  in 
return,  harassed  the  violinist  as  much  as 
possible,  trying  to  prevent  his  concerts  by 
arrests,  and  bringing  suits  against  him  for 
services  supposed  to  have  been  rendered. 
It  is  even  stated  that  an  attempt  was  made 
to  poison  him,  which  only  failed  because  the 
state  of  excitement  in  which  he  was  at  the 
time  prevented  his  desire  for  food. 


196  Fmnous  Violinists. 

Ole  Bull  now  set  to  work  to  retrieve  his 
fortunes,  but  ill  luck  still  followed  him,  and 
he  fell  a  victim  to  chills  and  fever,  was  aban- 
doned by  his  manager,  and  taken  to  a  farm- 
house on  a  prairie  in  Illinois,  where  he 
endured  a  long  illness.  For  five  years  he 
continued  his  struggle  against  misfortune, 
and  during  that  period  he  made  hosts  of 
friends  who  did  much  to  help  him  in  one 
way  and  another.  Nevertheless,  when  he 
gave  his  last  concerts  in  New  York,  in  1857, 
he  was  still  so  ill  that  he  had  to  be  helped  on 
and  off  the  stage. 

He  now  returned  to  Bergen,  where  the  air 
of  his  native  land  soon  restored  him  to  health. 
On  his  arrival,  however,  he  found  that  the 
report  had  been  circulated  that  he  had  been 
speculating  at  the  expense  of  his  countrymen, 
and  that  they  were  the  only  sufferers  by  his 
misfortunes. 

For  a  short  time  he  assumed  control  of 
the  National    Theatre,   but    before   long   he 


Ole  Bull.  197 

was  again  on  the  road,  giving  concerts  in 
various  parts  of  Europe.  While  he  was 
in  Paris,  in  1862,  his  wife  died. 

The  year  1867  found  him  again  in  the 
United  States,  and  during  this  tour  he  met 
at  Madison,  Wis.,  Miss  Sara  C.  Thorpe,  the 
lady  who  was  to  become  his  second  wife. 
He  also  took  part  in  the  Peace  Jubilee  in 
Boston,  in  1869. 

When  he  sailed  for  Norway,  in  April,  1870 
(he  was  to  be  married  on  his  arrival),  the 
New  York  Philharmonic  Society  presented 
him  with  a  beautiful  silken  flag.  This  flag 
—  the  Norwegian  colours  with  the  star- 
spangled  banner  inserted  in  the  upper  staff 
section  —  was  always  carried  in  the  seven- 
teenth of  May  processions  in  Bergen,  and 
floated  on  the  fourth  of  July. 

The  remaining  years  of  Ole  Bull's  life 
were  spent  in  comparative  freedom  from 
strife  and  struggle.  He  spent  much  of 
his  time  in   Norway,  but  also  found  time  for 


198  Famous  Violinists. 

many  concert  tours.  His  sixty-sixth  birthday 
was  spent  in  Egypt,  and  he  solemnised  the 
occasion  by  ascending  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops 
and  playing,  on  its  pinnacle,  his  "  Saeter- 
besog."  This  performance  took  place  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  King  of  Sweden,  to 
whom  the  account  was  duly  telegraphed  the 
next  morning  from  Cairo. 

In  Boston  Ole  Bull  was  always  a  great 
favourite  and  had  many  friends.  He  felt 
much  interest  in  the  Norsemen's  discovery 
of  America,  and  took  steps  to  bring  the  sub- 
ject before  the  people  of  Boston.  The  result 
of  his  efforts  is  to  be  seen  in  the  statue  of 
Lief  Ericsson,  commemorative  of  the  event, 
which  adorns  the  Public  Gardens. 

In  March  and  April,  1880,  Ole  Bull  ap- 
peared at  a  few  concerts  in  the  Eastern  cities, 
with  Miss  Thursby,  and  in  June  he  sailed,  for 
the  last  time,  from  America.  He  was  in 
poor  health,  but,  contrary  to  all  hopes,  the 
sea  voyage  did    not    improve    his  condition, 


Olc  Bull.  199 

and  much  anxiety  was  felt  until  his  home 
was  reached.  A  few  weeks  later  he  died, 
and,  at  the  funeral,  honours  more  than  royal 
were  shown.  In  the  city  of  Bergen  all  busi- 
ness was  suspended,  and  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  city  stood  waiting  to  pay  their 
last  respects  to  the  celebrated  musician  and 
patriot. 

Ole  Bull  was  a  man  of  remarkable  charac- 
acter  and  an  artist  of  undoubted  genius.  All 
who  heard  him,  or  came  in  contact  with  him, 
agree  that  he  was  far  from  being  an  ordinary 
man.  Tall,  of  athletic  build,  with  large  blue 
eyes  and  rich  flaxen  hair,  he  was  the  very 
type  of  the  Norseman,  and  there  was  some- 
thing in  his  personal  appearance  and  conver- 
sation which  acted  with  almost  magnetic 
power  on  those  who  approached  him.  He 
was  a  prince  of  story-tellers,  and  his  fascina- 
tion in  this  respect  was  irresistible  to  young 
and  old  alike,  and  its  effect  not  unlike  his 
violin  playing. 


200  Famous  Violinists. 

In  regard  to  his  playing,  his  technical  pro- 
ficiency was  such  as  very  few  violinists  have 
ever  attained  to.  His  double  stopping  was 
perfect,  his  staccato,  both  upward  and  down- 
ward, of  the  utmost  brilliancy,  and  though  he 
cannot  be  considered  a  serious  musician  in 
the  highest  sense  of  the  word,  he  played 
with  warm  and  poetical,  if  somewhat  senti- 
mental, feeling.  He  has  often  been  described 
as  the  "flaxen-haired  Paganini,"  and  his  style 
was  to  a  great  extent  influenced  by  Paganini, 
but  only  so  far  as  technicalities  are  concerned. 
In  every  other  respect  there  was  a  wide  differ- 
ence, for  while  Paganini's  manner  was  such 
as  to  induce  his  hearers  to  believe  that  they 
were  under  the  spell  of  a  demon,  Ole  Bull 
took  his  hearers  to  the  dreamy  moonlit 
regions  of  the  North.  It  is  this  power  of 
conveying  a  highly  poetic  charm  which  en- 
abled him  to  fascinate  his  audiences,  and  it  is 
a  power  far  beyond  any  mere  trickster  or  char- 
Jatan.     He  was  frequently  condemned  by  the 


Ole  Bull.  201 

critics  for  playing  popular  airs,  which  indeed 
formed  his  greatest  attraction  for  the  masses 
of  the  people.  He  seldom  played  the  most 
serious  music,  in  fact,  he  confined  himself 
almost  entirely  to  his  own  compositions,  most 
of  which  were  of  a  nature  to  meet  the  de- 
mand of  his  American  audiences. 

When  Ole  Bull  played  in  Boston  in  1852, 
after  having  been  absent  for  several  years, 
during  which  time  other  violinists  had  been 
heard,  John  S.  Dwight  wrote  of  his  perform- 
ance thus  :  '*  We  are  wearied  and  confused 
by  any  music,  however  strongly  tinged  with 
any  national  or  individual  spirit,  however 
expressive  in  detail,  skilful  in  execution,  and 
original  or  bold,  or  intense  in  feeling,  if  it  does 
not  at  the  same  time  impress  us  by  its 
unity  as  a  whole,  by  its  development  from 
first  to  last  of  one  or  more  pregnant  themes., 
As  compositions,  therefore,  we  do  not  feel 
reconciled  to  what  Ole  Bull  seems  fond  of 
playing.  .   .  .   He  cannot  be  judged  by  the 


202  Famous  Violinists, 

usual  standards,  his  genius  is  exceptional, 
intensely  individual  in  all  its  forms  and 
methods,  belongs  to  the  very  extreme  of  the 
romantic  as  distinguished  from  the  classical 
in  art.  He  makes  use  of  the  violin  and  of 
the  orchestra,  in  short  of  music,  simply  and 
mainly  to  impress  his  own  personal  moods, 
his  own  personal  experience,  upon  the  audi- 
ences. You  go  to  hear  Ole  Bull,  rather 
than  to  hear  and  feel  his  music.  It  is  emi- 
nently a  personal  matter.  .  .  .  Considered 
simply  as  an  executive  power,  he  seems,  after 
hearing  so  many  good  violinists  for  years 
past,  to  exceed  them  all  —  always  excepting 
Henri  Vieuxtemps." 

It  may  be  said  with  truth  that  Ole  Bull 
achieved  his  reputation  at  a  time  when  it  was 
comparatively  easy  to  do  so.  There  was 
very  little  musical  cultivation  in  this  country 
when  he  first  appeared  here,  as  may  be  easily 
imagined  by  a  glance  at  the  extracts  from 
criticisms,  given    here    and    there.       By  his 


Ole  Bull.  203 

strong  personality,  apparent  mastery  of  his 
instrument,  and  by  being  practically  the  sole 
occupant  of  the  field,  he  became  famous  and 
popular.  He  prided  himself  on  the  fact 
that  his  playing  was  addressed  rather  to  the 
hearts  than  to  the  sensitive  ears  of  his  audi- 
ences, and  during  his  later  years  he  adopted 
certain  mannerisms  by  way  of  distracting 
attention  from  his  somewhat  imperfect 
performances.  He  never  made  any  preten- 
sion to  being  a  musician  of  the  modern 
school,  nor  of  any  regularly  recognised  school 
of  music,  but  his  concert  pieces  were  his  own 
compositions,  of  no  great  merit,  and  he  still 
more  delighted  his  audiences  by  playing 
national  airs  as  no  one  had  ever  played  them 
before.  He  was  a  minstrel  rather  than  a 
musician  in  the  broad  sense  of  the  word,  but 
he  held  the  hearts  of  the  people  as  few,  if 
any,  minstrels  had  previously  done. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1830    TO    1850. 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  features  of  the 
biography  of  the  violin  virtuoso  is  that  he 
invariably  displays  great  talent  at  an  early 
age  and  plays  in  public  at  any  time  from 
eight  to  twelve  years  old.  There  are  doubt- 
less more  who  do  this  than  are  ever  heard 
of  at  a  later  day,  for  the  idea  of  the  infant 
phenomenon  is  alluring.  The  way  of  the 
viohnist  is  hard.  He  has  many  years  of 
study  and  self-denial  before  him,  if  he  is  to 
excel  as  a  musician.  Therefore  the  infant 
who  can  be  exploited  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  money  provides  for  his  future  education, 
unless  hard  work  or  flattery  kill  him  physi- 
cally or  intellectually  before  he  is  ripe.  Many 
prodigies  sink  into  oblivion,  —  some  few  rise 

204 


i8jo  to  18^0.  205 

to  celebrity.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  vio- 
linists who  played  in  public  while  very  young 
have  invariably  settled  down  afterward  to 
serious  study,  and  at  a  more  mature  age  have 
thus  been  able  to  take  their  place  in  the 
musical  world. 

Year  by  year,  too,  the  demands  upon  the 
violinist  have  been  greater.  A  virtuoso  is 
judged  rather  by  the  standard  of  Beethoven's 
concerto  than  by  his  ability  to  perform  mu- 
sical gymnastics  with  operatic  selections. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  a  fact  that  many  of  the 
best  known  violinists  were  those  who  catered 
to  the  taste  of  the  multitude,  while  many 
better  musicians  have  been  comparatively 
unknown. 

Among  celebrated  violinists  few  have  led 
more  romantic  or  adventurous  lives  than 
Edouard  Remenyi,  whose  name  is  not  yet  for- 
gotten in  this  country.  Born  at  Hewes,  in 
Hungary,  in  1830,  he  possessed  the  restless 
spirit  of  his  race,  fought  in  the  insurrection 


2o6  Famous  Violinists. 

of  1 848,  escaped  to  the  United  States  when 
the  insurrection  was  crushed,  but  was 
received  into  favour  again  a  few  years  later, 
on  his  return  to  his  native  land. 

From  his  twelfth  to  his  fifteenth  year  he 
studied  the  violin  at  the  Vienna  Conservatoire 
under  Bohm,  who  was  also  the  teacher  of 
Joachim.  In  1848  he  became  adjutant  to 
the  distinguished  General  Gorgey,  and 
fought  under  Kossuth  and  Klapka  in  the  war 
with  Austria.  Then  came  the  flight  to 
America,  where  he  made  a  tour  as  a  virtuoso, 
but  in  1853  he  visited  Weimar,  and  sought 
out  Franz  Liszt,  who  at  once  recognised  his 
genius  and  became  his  friend  and  guide. 

In  1854  he  went  to  London  and  was  ap- 
pointed solo  violinist  in  the  queen's  band,  but 
when  in  i860  he  obtained  his  amnesty  and  re- 
turned to  Hungary  he  was  created  solo  violin- 
ist in  the  band  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria. 

His  restless  disposition  would  not  allow 
him  to  remain  long  in  one  place,  and  in  1 865 


j8jo  to  18^0.  207 

he  once  more  began  to  travel.  He  visited 
Paris,  where  he  created  a  perfect  furore,  and 
then  continued  his  triumphant  course  through 
Germany,  Holland,  and  Belgium.  After  set- 
tling in  Paris  for  about  two  years,  he  returned 
in  1877  to  London,  where  he  repeated  his 
Parisian  successes,  appearing,  as  in  Paris, 
chiefly  in  the  salons  of  wealthy  patrons. 
During  this  visit  to  London  he  appeared  in 
public  only  once,  at  Mapleson's  benefit  at  the 
Crystal  Palace,  when  he  played  a  fantasia  on 
themes  from  the  "  Huguenots,"  The  follow- 
ing year  he  went  once  more  to  the  United 
States,  and  on  his  way  played  at  the  prome- 
nade concerts  in  London.  In  America  he 
remained  for  some  years,  and  then  proceeded 
in  1887  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and 
Madagascar.  While  on  this  voyage  it  was 
reported  that  his  ship  was  wrecked  and 
that  he  was  drowned,  and  numerous  obituary 
notices  of  him  appeared  in  the  newspapers 
throughout  the  world. 


2o8  Famous  Violinists. 

In  1 89 1  he  was  once  more  in  London,  and 
played  at  the  house  of  the  late  Colonel 
North,  "the  Nitrate  King."  He  now  re- 
turned to  the  United  States,  where  he  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  His  powers  were, 
however,  failing,  and  other  violinists  had 
brought  new  and  perhaps  higher  interest  to 
American  audiences. 

When  Remenyi  visited  the  United  States 
in  1878,  he  arrived  a  few  weeks  after  Wil- 
helmj,  and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
two  violinists  were  widely  different  in  tem- 
perament, ideas,  musicianship,  in  fact  in  every 
particular,  they  were  frequently  made  the 
subjects  of  comparison.  At  this  time 
Remenyi  played  an  **  Otello  Fantaisie," 
"Suwanee  River,"  "Grandfather's  Clock," 
etc.  He  was  well  sketched  in  a  journal  of 
the  time,  which  said  : 

"  Remenyi  is  gifted  with  a  vivacious,  generous, 
rather  mocking  disposition  which  rebels  against  mo- 
notony, and  whose  originality  shines  through  every- 


i8^o  to  t8^o.  209 

thing,  and  in  spite  of  everything.  He  is  fluent  in 
five  or  six  languages,  and  entertains  with  droll  con- 
ceits, or  with  reminiscences  of  famous  artists  and 
composers.  ...  In  the  wild  rhythms  of  the  gypsy 
dance,  in  the  fierce  splendour  of  the  patriotic  hymn, 
the  player  and  audience  alike  are  fired  with  excite- 
ment. The  passion  rises,  the  tumult  waxes  furious ; 
a  tremendous  sweep  of  the  bow  brings  the  music  to 
an  end  ;  and  then  we  can  say  that  we  have  heard 
Remenyi." 

The  gypsy  dance  and  the  patriotic  hymn  ! 
And  yet  he  was  weighed  in  the  balance  with 
Wilhelmj,  who  played  the  grandest  and  best 
music  in  the  most  refined,  musicianly  manner, 
and  whose  tour  in  America  marked  an  epoch 
in  the  musical  life  of  the  country. 

In  his  prime  Remenyi  was  the  master  of 
an  enormous  technique,  and  the  possessor 
of  a  strongly  pronounced  poetic  individuality. 
His  whole  soul  was  in  his  playing,  and  his 
impulse  carried  him  away  with  it  as  he 
warmed  to  his  task,  and  it  carried  the  audi- 
ence too.     His  greatest  success  was  in  the 


2IO  Famous  Violinists. 

playing  of  Hungarian  music,  some  of  which 
he  adapted  for  his  instrument,  but  the  storm- 
ier pieces  of  Chopin  which  he  arranged  for 
the  violin  were  given  by  him  with  tremen- 
dous effect.  In  the  more  tender  pieces,  such 
as  the  nocturnes  of  Field  and  of  Chopin,  he 
played  with  the  utmost  dreaminess. 

His  individuality  showed  in  his  playing. 
He  was  impulsive  and  uncertain,  —  a  wander- 
ing musician,  who,  when  the  whim  took  him, 
would  disappear  from  public  view  altogether. 
When  he  made  a  success  in  any  place  his 
restless  nature  would  not  allow  him  to 
follow  it  up,  so  that  when  his  prime  was 
past,  instead  of  having  formed  connec- 
tions which  should  have  lasted  him  for  the 
rest  of  his  life,  he  was  still  the  wandering 
musician,  but  without  the  marvellous  powers 
which  he  had  wielded  only  a  few  years 
before. 

During  his  long  career  he  toured  Australia 
and  almost  all  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  also 


i8jo  to  18^0.  21 1 

Java,  China,  and  Japan  ;  in  fact,  he  went  where 
few,  if  any,  violinists  of  his  ability  had  been 
before. 

Once  upon  a  time  the  representative  of  a 
London  newspaper  went  to  interview  Re- 
menyi,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  the  vio- 
linist was  not  only  willing  to  tell  him  much, 
but  even  proposed  questions  which  he  should 
answer.  He  said  that  he  had  played  in  the 
6o's  before  the  natives  of  South  Africa,  and 
had  been  shipwrecked,  after  which  he  had 
the  pleasure  of  reading  some  very  fine  obit- 
uary notices.  In  New  Zealand  he  found 
the  Maoris  perfectly  reckless  in  their  demand 
for  encores,  and  instead  of  playing  six  pieces, 
as  announced  on  his  programmes,  he  fre- 
quently had  to  play  sixteen. 

In  South  Africa  he  discovered  thirty  out  of 
his  collection  of  forty-seven  old  and  valuable 
violins.  Most  of  them  were  probably  the 
property  of  the  Huguenots,  who  after  the 
edict  of  Nantes  went  to  Holland  and  thence 


212  Famous  Violinists. 

to  South  Africa,  to  which  place  they  were 
banished  by  the  Dutch  government. 

It  was  related  by  Remenyi  that  when  he 
was  a  young  man  in  Hamburg,  in  1853,  he 
was  to  appear  at  a  fashionable  soiree  one 
night,  but  at  the  last  moment  his  accom- 
panist was  too  ill  to  play.  Remenyi  went 
to  a  music  store  and  asked  for  an  accom- 
panist. The  proprietor  sent  Johannes 
Brahms,  then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  who  was 
struggling  for  existence  and  teaching  for 
a  very  small  sum.  Remenyi  and  Brahms 
became  so  interested  in  each  other  that  they 
forgot  all  about  the  soiree,  and  sat  up  till 
four  the  next  morning  chatting  and  playing 
together.  Remenyi's  negligence  of  his  en- 
gagement resulted  in  the  loss  of  any  further 
business  in  Hamburg,  and  together  with 
Brahms  he  set  out  for  Hanover,  giving  con- 
certs as  they  went,  and  thus  earning  suffi- 
cient funds  to  carry  them  on  their  way. 

At    Hanover    they    called    upon   Joachim, 


i8jo  to  i8jO.  213 

who  arranged  for  them  to  play  before  the 
court.  After  this  they  proceeded  to  the 
Altenburg  to  see  Liszt,  who  received  them 
warmly,  and  offered  them  a  home.  During 
all  this  time  Brahms  received  little  or  no 
recognition,  in  spite  of  Remenyi's  enthusiasm 
in  his  cause,  neither  did  he  find  very  much 
favour  with  Liszt,  although  the  latter  recog- 
nised his  talent.  He  therefore  returned  to 
Hanover,  where  Joachim  gave  him  a  letter 
to  Schumann,  and  it  was  Schumann's  enthu- 
siastic welcome  and  declaration  that  a  new 
genius  had  arisen  that  established  Brahms's 
reputation  in  musical  circles. 

Remenyi  said  that  Brahms,  shortly  after 
his  arrival  at  the  Altenberg,  offended  Liszt 
and  his  pupils  by  comfortably  sleeping  during 
one  of  the  famous  lessons,  which  were  in  the 
nature  of  a  general  class.  This  breach  of 
manners  Brahms  justified  on  the  score  of 
being  exhausted  by  his  previous  journey. 

The  death  of  Remenyi,  which  occurred  on 


214  Famous  Violinists. 

May  15,  1898,  created  a  sensation  through- 
out the  country.  He  had,  after  many  mis- 
givings, consented  to  appear  in  "vaudeville." 
The  financial  inducement  was  large,  and  he 
soothed  his  artistic  conscience  with  the  argu- 
ment that  his  music  would  tend  to  elevate 
the  vaudeville  rather  than  that  the  vaude- 
ville would  tend  to  degrade  him.  It  was  at 
the  Orpheus  Theatre  in  San  Francisco,  and 
it  was  his  first  appearance.  He  played  one 
or  two  selections,  and  being  tremendously 
applauded,  and  correspondingly  gratified,  he 
returned  and  answered  the  encore  with 
the  well-known  *' Old  Glory."  He  was  in 
his  best  vein,  and  played  as  one  inspired. 
The  audience  literally  rose  with  him,  leaving 
their  seats  in  their  excitement,  and  the 
applause  lasted  several  minutes.  He  came 
forward,  and  in  response  to  another  burst 
of  applause  commenced  to  play  Delibes's 
"Fizzicati."  He  had  played  but  a  few 
measures    when    he    leaned    over    as    if    to 


1 8 JO  to  J 8 JO.  215 

speak  to  one  of  the  musicians  in  the  orches- 
tra. He  paused  a  moment,  and  then  fell 
slowly  forward  on  his  face.  One  of  the  musi- 
cians caught  him  before  he  touched  the  stage, 
and  thus  prevented  his  rolling  off.  All  was 
over. 

Remenyi  left  a  widow,  a  son,  and  a  daugh- 
ter, who  lived  in  New  York.  His  health  had 
been  failing  for  some  time,  for  in  1896,  for 
the  first  time  in  thirty  years,  he  had,  while 
in  Davenport,  Iowa,  been  compelled  to  can- 
cel all  his  engagements  and  rest.  It  is  said 
that  Remenyi's  real  name  was  Hoffmann. 

The  name  of  Miska  Hauser  is  seldom  men- 
tioned in  these  days,  and  yet  it  was  once 
known  all  over  the  world.  No  virtuoso  of 
his  time  travelled  more  extensively,  and  few 
created  more  enthusiasm  than  did  Hauser. 
He  was  born  in  Pressburg,  Hungary,  in  1822, 
and  became  a  pupil  of  Bohm  and  of  Mayse- 
der  at  Vienna,  also  of  Kreutzer  and  Sechter. 
He  is  said  to  have  acquired  m.ore  of  Mayse- 


2i6  Famous  Violinists. 

der's  elegant  style  and  incisive  tone  than  of 
the  characteristics  of  his  other  teachers,  but 
his  talent  was  devoted  to  the  acquisition  of 
virtuoso  effects,  which  appeal  to  the  majority 
rather  than  to  the  most  cultivated. 

As  a  boy  of  tv/elve  Hauser  made  an  ex- 
tensive and  successful  concert  tour.  In 
1840  he  toured  Europe,  and  ten  years  later 
went  to  London,  and  thence  to  the  West 
Indies  and  the  United  States,  where  he  made 
quite  a  sensation,  and  was  a  member  of 
Jenny  Lind's  company.  He  afterwards 
visited  San  Francisco,  where  he  got  himself 
into  difficulties  on  account  of  Lola  Montes. 
Then  he  went  to  South  America,  visiting 
Lima,  where  passionate  Creoles  languished 
for  him,  Santiago,  where  a  set  of  fanatics 
excited  the  mob  against  him,  declaring  that 
he  was  charmed  by  the  devil,  and  Valparaiso, 
where  he  suffered  shipwreck. 

He  then  proceeded  to  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands, where  he  played  before  the  royal  family 


i8jo  to  18^0.  217 

and  all  the  dusky  nobles.  They  listened 
solemnly,  but  made  no  sign  of  approbation, 
and  Hauser  felt  that  he  was  sinking  into  a 
mere  nothing  in  their  esteem.  In  despera- 
tion he  tore  the  strings  from  his  violin  and 
played,  with  all  his  power,  several  sentimen- 
tal songs  on  the  G  string  only.  Then  he 
gave  them  Paganini's  witches'  dance.  This 
succeeded,  and  they  gave  a  yell  of  joy 
and  wanted  more.  They  particularly  delighted 
in  harmonic  effects,  and  before  long  were 
willing  to  do  anything  for  the  foreigner  who 
could  pipe  on  the  wood  as  well  as  any  bird. 
He  became  a  hero  at  Otaheite,  but  was 
obliged  to  continue  on  his  journey.  He 
next  visited  Australia,  and  while  in  Sydney 
he  made  such  a  success  that  he  was  pre- 
sented with  the  freedom  of  the  city  and 
thanked  by  the  government  for  his  playing. 
In  i860  he  reached  Turkey,  where  he 
played  before  the  Sultan,  who  beat  time  to 
his    music    and    seemed    highly    delighted. 


21 8  Famous  Violinists. 

Hauser  had  many  amusing  stories  to  tell  of 
his  travels,  and  especially  of  his  experiences 
in  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  Turkey,  Cairo 
and  Alexandria.  His  adventures,  which 
were  numerous  and  thrilling,  were  published 
in  two  volumes,  in  Vienna. 

Hauser  was  not  the  possessor  of  a  great 
technique,  but  there  was  something  charac- 
teristic and  charming  in  his  tone  and  manner- 
isms, which  were  especially  pleasing  to  the 
fair  sex.  He  was  a  man  of  restless,  and,  in 
some  respects,  dissatisfied  nature.  Some  of 
his  compositions  are  still  to  be  found  on 
concert  programmes,  and  these  he  used  to 
play  exquisitely.  Hauser  lived  in  retirement 
in  Vienna  after  concluding  his  travels,  and  in 
1887  he  died  practically  forgotten. 

Few  violinists  succeeded  more  completely 
in  captivating  their  audiences  than  Henri 
Wieniawski,  whose  impetuous  Slavonic  tem- 
perament, with  its  warm  and  tender  feeling, 
gave  a  colour  to    his  playing,  which  placed 


iSjo  to  1850.  219 

his  hearers  entirely  under  his  control,  went 
straight  to    their    hearts,   and    enlisted  their 
sympathy    from    the    very  first  note.     Both 
fingering  and  bowing  were  examples  of  the 
highest  degree  of  excellence  in    vioHn  tech- 
nique, and  difficulties  did  not  exist  for  him. 
At  times  his  fiery  temperament  may  have  led 
him  to  exaggeration,  and  to  a  step  beyond 
the  bounds  of  good  taste,  but   this  was  lost 
sight  of  in  the  peculiar  charm  of  his  playing, 
its  gracefulness  and  piquancy. 

Wieniawski's  tour  in  America,  which  took 
place  in  1872,  when  he  accompanied  Rubm- 
stein,  may  be  said  to  mark  an  era  in  the 
musical  life  of  this  nation.  These  two  great 
artists  revealed  the  possibilities  of  the  musi- 
cal art  to  a  people  who,  while  loving  music, 
were  still  in  their  infancy  as  far  as  musi- 
cal development  is  concerned. 

Wieniawski,  like  nearly  all  the  great  per- 
formers, showed  his  talent  while  very  young. 
He  was  born  in    1835   at  Lublin,  in  Poland, 


220  Famous  Violinists, 

where  his  father  was  a  medical  man.  He 
was  taken  to  Paris  by  his  mother  when  he 
was  only  eight  years  old,  and  he  entered  the 
Conservatoire,  where  he  soon  joined  Mas- 
sart's  class,  and  when  only  eleven  gained  the 
first  prize  for  violin  playing. 

After  this  he  made  a  concert  tour  in 
Poland  and  Russia,  but  soon  returned  to 
Paris  to  renew  his  studies,  especially  com- 
position. In  1850  he  went  again  on  the 
road,  and  with  his  brother  Joseph,  a  pianist, 
he  gave  concerts  in  most  of  the  principal 
towns  in  the  Netherlands,  France,  England, 
and  Germany.  In  i860  he  was  appointed 
solo  violinist  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and 
held  that  position  for  twelve  years,  residing 
chiefly  at  St.  Petersburg. 

It  was  at  the  conclusion  of  this  engage- 
ment that  he  made  his  tour  in  the  United 
States  with  Rubinstein,  who  was  his  intimate 
friend,  and  when  the  great  pianist  returned 
to  Europe  Wieniawski  remained  in  America 


i8jo  to  t8^o.         "  221 

and  succeeded  in  making  a  large  fortune,  trav- 
elling all  over  the  country  and  creating  a 
furore  by  his  performances.  This  tour  was 
cut  short  toward  the  end  of  1874  by  a  tele- 
gram from  Brussels  offering  him  the  position 
of  professor  of  violin  at  the  Conservatoire, 
during  the  illness  of  Vieuxtemps. 

He  remained  in  Brussels  until  1877,  when, 
Vieuxtemps  becoming  convalescent,  Wie- 
niawski  set  forth  once  more  on  his  travels. 

At  this  time  his  health  was  failing,  and  an 
incident  took  place  at  Berlin  which  is  well 
worth  recording.  During  a  concert  he  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  spasm,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  stop  in  the  middle  of  a  concerto. 
Joachim  was  amongst  the  audience,  and 
came  to  the  rescue,  taking  up  Wieniawski's 
violin  and  finishing  the  programme,  thus 
showing  his  friendship  for  the  sufferer  and 
earning  the  enthusiastic  applause  of  an 
appreciative  audience. 

Notwithstanding  his  sufferings,  Wieniawski 


222  Famous  Violinists, 

continued  his  tour,  but  at  Odessa  he  broke 
down  altogether. 

It  has  been  stated  that  he  died  unknown 
and  friendless  in  the  hospital  at  Moscow, 
and  was  buried  by  public  charity  ;  but  his  son, 
Jules  Wieniawski,  has  contradicted  this,  and 
states  that  he  died  in  the  house  of  the  Count- 
ess of  Meek,  and  was  buried  by  the  Czar 
Alexander  III.,  of  whom  he  was  the  friend 
as  well  as  the  favourite  violinist. 

Wieniawski  was  a  man  of  somewhat  enthu- 
siastic nature,  and  his  actions  were  not  always 
tempered  by  the  most  perfect  wisdom.  It 
was  said  that  just  before  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Hampton  he  took  a  run  up  the  Rhine,  not, 
like  a  wise  man,  waiting  until  he  had  some 
one  to  take  proper  care  of  him.  The  con- 
sequence was  that  he  must  just  take  an  hour's 
look  into  Wiesbaden  to  see  several  old 
friends,  and  this  led  naturally  to  passing  an 
idle  moment  looking  at  the  green  table  doings. 
Here  the   excitement  became  too  great  for 


J 8 JO  to  1 8 JO.  223 

one  of  his  temperament,  and  he  felt  com- 
pelled to  stake  a  small  smii.  A  small  sum 
led  to  a  larger  amount,  and  when  he  left  the 
place  he  was  poorer  to  the  tune  of  forty 
thousand  francs,  and  he  came  away  to  his 
bride  a  sadder  and  wiser  man. 

Although  a  great  gambler,  Wieniawski 
owed  the  loss  of  a  large  part  of  his  fortune  to 
the  failure  of  a  New  York  banking  firm  in 
1873,  rather  than  to  his  favourite  propensity. 

The  friendship  between  him  and  Vieux- 
temps  was  very  strong,  in  fact  it  was 
described  as  being  ideal.  Once,  while  Wie- 
niawski was  playing  at  a  concert,  Vieuxtemps 
was  among  the  audience,  and,  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  one  of  the  violinist's  solos,  Vieux- 
temps called,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Bravo, 
Wieniawski !  "  This  drew  attention  to 
Vieuxtemps,  who  was  immediately  recog- 
nised by  the  audience  and  enthusiastically 
welcomed. 

Wieniawski's  compositions  number  two  and 


224  Famous  Violinists, 

twenty.  As  a  proof  of  the  old  adage  that 
*<  doctors  do  not  always  agree,"  we  are  told  by 
one  excellent  authority  that  his  D  minor  con- 
certo, the  two  polonaises,  and  his  "  Legende  " 
will  probably  never  vanish  from  the  violinist's 
repertoire,  and  by  another  that  Wieniawski's 
compositions  are  not  of  much  importance. 
Both  statements  are  no  doubt  true,  for  there 
are  many  fascinating  concert  pieces  which, 
from  the  strictly  classical  point  of  view,  are 
not  important  additions  to  musical  literature. 

An  American  critic  wrote  of  him,  after  his 
first  appearance :  "In  Wieniawski  we  have 
the  greatest  violinist  who  has  yet  been  heard 
in  America.  ...  Of  all  now  living  Joachim 
alone  can  claim  superiority  over  him." 

This  sweeping  enthusiasm  was  not  univer- 
sal, for  a  critic  more  difficult  to  please  wrote 
as  follows :  "  Wieniawski's  playing  is  as  per- 
fect as  a  faultless  technique,  artistic  culture, 
great  aesthetic  sensibility,  and  perfect  mastery 
over  himself  and  his  instrument  can  make  it. 


1 8 JO  to  18^0.  225 

But  with  all  its  perfection  we  cannot  but  feel 
that  the  great  original,  heaven-and-earth-mov- 
ing  master-soul  is  wanting." 

He  was  also  severely  scathed  by  a  critic  in 
New  York  in  1872,  who  wrote:  "Some  peo- 
ple   like    pure,    clear    tone,  —  others    don't. 
Those    who    admire    scratching     and     false 
stopping,  together  with  sundry  other  things 
of  the  same  nature,  would  have  experienced 
wild  joy  upon  hearing  Beethoven's   ''Violin 
Concerto"  as  it  was  played  by  Wieniawski ; 
but  for  those  who  regard  a  correct  intona- 
tion as  a  thing  of  primal  importance,  it  could 
not  have  been  pleasing.     Wieniawski  belongs 
to  that  school  of  which  Ole  Bull  is  a  promi- 
nent member,  whose  first  article  of  belief  is 
that  genuine  passion  and  fervour  is  signified 
by  rasping  the  strings." 

Other  criticisms  of  the  same  concert,  how- 
ever, were  of  a  very  different  tenor,  and  when, 
a  week  or  two  later,  Wieniawski  played  the 
same   concerto    in    Boston,    John  S.  D wight 


226  Famous  Violinists, 

praised  the  performance  highly,  and  took 
occasion  to  specially  record  his  disagreement 
with  the  eminent  critic  in  New  York. 

While  not  technically  the  equal  of  one  or 
two  of  his  contemporaries,  Wieniawski  played 
with  so  much  fire,  and  knew  so  well  how  to 
reach  the  heart  of  his  audience  by  methods 
perfectly  legitimate,  that  he  must  be  ranked 
among  the  greatest  violinists. 

Don  Pablo  Martin  Meliton  de  Sarasate  is  a 
name  known  throughout  Europe  and  America, 
if  not  throughout  the  civilised  world.  Sarasate 
was  born  in  Spain,  in  Pampeluna,  the  chief 
city  of  Navarre.  He  was  a  youthful  prodigy, 
and  played  before  the  court  of  Madrid  at  the 
age  of  ten,  when  Queen  Isabella  was  so  de- 
lighted with  him  that  she  presented  him  with 
a  fine  Stradivarius  violin. 

A  couple  of  years  later  he  was  sent  to 
Paris,  where  he  entered  the  Conservatoire, 
and  was  admitted  into  Alard's  class,  while 
M.  Lassabathie,  who  vv^as  then  administrator 


1 8 JO  to  1 8 JO.  227 

of  the  institution,  took  him  into  his  house 
and  boarded  him.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinued until  the  death,  about  ten  years  later, 
of  M.  Lassabathie. 

In  the  course  of  a  year  after  entering  the 
Conservatoire,  Sarasate  won  the  first  prize 
for  violin  playing.  From  the  first  he 
manifested  remarkable  facility  in  mechanical 
execution,  and  his  playing  was  distinguished 
for  elegance  and  delicacy,  though  nothing 
mdicated  that  his  talent  would  become 
extraordinary. 

For  ten  years  after  gaining  the  prize  Sara- 
sate  remained  a  salon  violinist,  of  amiable  dis- 
position, a  ladies'  virtuoso,  with  a  somewhat 
mincing  style,  who  played  only  variations 
on  opera  motives,  and  who  was  an  entire 
stranger  to  classical  music. 

Then  came  a  complete  change ;  the  char- 
acter of  his  playing  becoming  serious,  a  large 
and  noble  style  replaced  the  mincing  manner 
which  he  had  previously  affected,  and,  instead 


228  Famous  Violinists. 

of  the  showy  trifles  which  had  filled  his 
repertoire,  he  took  to  the  works  of  the  great 
masters.  By  hard  work  he  developed  his 
technical  ability,  so  that  he  reached  the  limit 
beyond  which  few,  if  any,  violinists  succeed 
in  passing.  And  all  this  he  accomplished 
without  losing  anything  of  the  elegance  of 
his  phrasing  or  of  the  infinite  charm  of  his 
tone. 

Although  Sarasate  made  Paris  his  home, 
he  began  to  travel  as  early  as  1859,  ^"^^  i^^ 
1872,  when  he  played  in  Paris,  he  was  wel- 
comed as  a  new  star.  When  his  prestige 
was  well  established  in  Paris  his  friends 
advised  him  to  go  to  Germany,  but  he  feared 
that  so  soon  after  the  Franco-German  war  he, 
who  by  long  residence  was  practically  a 
Frenchman,  would  not  be  welcome.  At  last, 
however,  the  entreaties  of  his  friends  pre- 
vailed, and  when  Sarasate  appeared  at  Leip- 
zig he  produced  an  immense  sensation.  Then 
followed  a  series  of  tours  in  Germany,  Russia, 


1 8 JO  to  1 8 JO.  229 

Austria,  England,  and  Belgium,  which  lasted 
three  years,  and  brought  him  much  glory 
and  pecuniary  gain. 

In  Vienna  the  celebrated  critic,  Hanslick, 
wrote  of  him  as  follows :  "  There  are  few 
violinists  whose  playing  gives  such  unalloyed 
enjoyment  as  the  performance  of  this  Span- 
iard. His  tone  is  incomparable,  —  not  power- 
fully or  deeply  affecting,  but  of  enchanting 
sweetness.  The  infallible  correctness  of  the 
player  contributes  greatly  to  the  enjoyment. 
The  moment  the  bow  touches  the  Stradivarius 
a  stream  of  beautiful  sound  flows  toward  the 
hearer.  A  pure  tone  seems  to  me  the  prime 
quality  of  violin  playing  —  unfortunately, 
also,  it  is  a  rare  quality.  Sarasate's  virtuosity 
shines  and  pleases  and  surprises  the  audience 
continually.  He  is  distinguished,  not  because 
he  plays  great  difhculties,  but  because  he 
plays  with  them." 

Both  in  France  and  Germany  Sarasate  has 
always  been  a  great  favourite,  and  is  always 


230  Famous  Violinists. 

sure  of  a  large  and  enthusiastic  audience, 
even  though  he  has  passed  the  zenith 
of  his  powers.  He  has  never  taken  pupils, 
but  has  confined  himself  to  concert  play- 
ing only,  and  he  has  been  called  the 
highest-priced  player  in  Germany,  where  it 
was  said  that  he  received  three  thousand 
marks  for  a  concert,  while  even  Joachim 
received  only  one  thousand.  He  has  received 
many  valuable  gifts  during  his  career,  and 
these  he  has  presented  to  his  native  city, 
Pampeluna,  where  they  have  been  placed  in 
a  museum  by  the  municipal  council.  The 
collection  includes  articles  of  great  worth 
from  the  Emperor  William  I.  of  Germany, 
Napoleon  HI.,  the  Emperor  of  Brazil,  and 
the  Queen  of  Spain,  and  its  value  is  esti- 
mated at  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

Sarasate  has  visited  the  United  States 
twice,  and  won  great  favour,  for  his  playing 
is  of  the  kind  which  appeals  to  the  fancy, 
graceful,  vivacious,  and  pure  toned,  and  he 


i8^o  to  18^0.  231 

plays  Spanish  dances  in  a  manner  never  to 
be  surpassed. 

He  has  been  compared  with  some  of  the 
most  eminent  violinists  thus:  —  Vieuxtemps 
was  an  artist  with  an  ardent  mind,  and  a  mag- 
nificent interpreter  of  Beethoven ;  Joachim 
towers  aloft  in  the  heights  of  serene  poetry, 
upon  the  Olympic  summits  inaccessible  to 
the  tumults  of  passion  ;  Sivori  was  a  daz- 
zling virtuoso ;  Sarasate  is  an  incomparable 
charmer. 

There  are  doubtless  many  who  remember 
the  tour  of  August  Wilhelmj,  the  celebrated 
violinist,  who  visited  the  United  States  about 
twenty  years  ago.  He  was  considered  sec- 
ond to  no  artist  then  living  in  his  general 
command  over  the  resources  of  his  instru- 
ment, and  he  excelled  in  the  purity  and  vol- 
ume of  his  tone,  no  less  than  in  the  brilliancy 
of  his  execution.  He  did  not  possess  the 
warmth  and  impulsiveness  which  constituted 
the  charm  of  Wieniawski,  but  his  perform- 


232  Famous  Violinists. 

ances  appealed  to  his  audiences  in  a  different 
and  more  legitimate  manner.  He  was  even 
a  greater  traveller  than  Remenyi,  and  visited 
almost,  if  not  quite,  every  civilised  country. 
His  travels  took  him  throughout  Europe, 
America,  Australia,  and  Asia.  He  was,  in 
1885,  invited  by  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  to 
perform  in  his  seraglio,  the  only  violinist  to 
whom  such  a  compliment  had  ever  been  paid. 
The  Sultan  on  this  occasion  decorated  him 
with  the  Order  of  the  Medjidie,  second  class, 
and  presented  him  with  some  beautiful  dia- 
monds. 

August  Wilhelmj  was  born  in  1845  ^^ 
Usingen,  in  the  Duchy  of  Nassau,  and,  show- 
ing his  aptitude,  was  placed  under  Konrad 
Fischer,  a  violinist  of  Wiesbaden,  at  the  age 
of  six.  His  progress  was  so  rapid  that  when 
nine  years  old  he  played  in  a  concert  in 
Limburg  and  received  great  applause.  Wil- 
helmj's  father  was  a  lawyer  of  distinction 
and   a  wealthy  vine-grower,  and,  in  spite  of 


1 8 JO  to  18^0.  233 

the  boy's  progress,  he  did  not  favour  the 
idea  of  allowing  him  to  take  to  the  violin  as 
a  profession,  for  he  felt  that  the  majority  of 
infant  prodigies  fail  as  they  reach  manhood. 
But  the  boy  had  received  much  encourage- 
ment, and  persisted  in  his  desire.  Henrietta 
Sontag,  the  celebrated  singer,  heard  him  play 
Spohr's  ninth  concerto  and  "The  Carnival  of 
Venice,"  and  was  so  charmed  that  she  said  he 
would  become  the  German  Paganini. 

In  the  course  of  time  Wilhelmj  succeeded 
in  obtaining  a  concession  from  his  father  :  — 
he  was  to  get  the  judgment  of  a  musical 
authority  on  his  capabilities,  and,  if  favour- 
able, no  objection  should  be  made  to  his 
becoming  a  virtuoso.  On  the  recommenda- 
tion of  Prince  Emil  of  Wittgenstein,  the 
young  violinist  went  in  i86r  to  Liszt  at 
Weimar,  and  after  playing  to  him  Spohr's 
*'  Scena  Cantante  "  and  the  Hungarian  fan- 
tasia by  Ernst,  he  was  asked  to  play  several 
pieces  at  sight.     At    the    end  of   this    trial 


234  Famous  Violinists. 

Liszt  sprang  from  his  seat,  calling  out  in  a 
loud  voice,  "  Ay  !  indeed  you  are  predesti- 
nated to  become  a  violinist  —  so  much  so 
that  for  you  the  violin  must  have  been  in- 
vented if  it  had  not  already  existed."  This 
judgment  satisfied  the  father,  and  a  few  days 
later  Liszt  himself  took  the  boy  to  Leipzig 
and  introduced  him  to  Ferdinand  David,  say- 
ing, "  Let  me  present  to  you  a  future  Paga- 
nini.  Look  well  to  him  !  "  For  three  years 
Wilhelmj  was  a  pupil  of  David,  and  at  the 
same  time  studied  the  theory  of  music  with 
Richter  and  Hausmann.  In  due  course  he 
passed  his  examinations  at  the  Leipzig  Con- 
servatory, playing  Joachim's  Hungarian 
concerto. 

In  1865  he  began  his  concert  tours,  travel- 
ling through  Switzerland  and  Holland  to 
England,  and  from  this  time  he  seems 
to  have  been  almost  continually  travelling. 
During  1869,  1870,  and  1871  he  made  a 
long  tour  in  England  with  Charles   Santley, 


i8jo  to  i8so.  235 

the  great  singer.  In  1876  he  led  the  vioHns 
at  the  Nibelungen  performance  at  Bayreuth, 
and  the  Wagner  concerts  in  London,  at  the 
Albert  Hall,  in  1877,  were  due  to  his  repre- 
sentations. In  1882,  after  travelling  all  over 
the  globe,  he  spent  some  time  in  Russia,  but 
presently  returned  to  Germany  and  estab- 
lished a  violin  school  at  Biberich,  which, 
however,  he  abandoned  after  a  time. 

From  time  to  time  he  continued  to  play  in 
public,  but  gradually  withdrew  and  lived 
in  retirement  at  Blasewitz,  near  Dresden. 
Eventually  he  went  to  London,  where  he  was 
appointed  professor  at  the  Guildhall  School 
of  Music.  Unfortunately,  his  powers  have 
been  on  the  wane  for  some  years  past,  but 
though  the  days  of  his  public  performances 
are  past,  he  is  known  as  a  most  patient  and 
painstaking  teacher.  The  high  esteem  in 
which  he  has  been  held  was  quaintly  ex- 
pressed by  an  eminent  musician,  who  referred 
to  his  decadence   in   these  words :    ''  Ah,   if 


236  Famous  Violinists, 

Wilhelmj  had  not  been  what  he  is,  Joachim 
would  never  have  been  what  he  is."  By 
which  one  may  infer  that  Wilhelmj  was,  in 
some  respects,  a  greater  man  than  Joachim. 

In  1894  Wilhelmj  married  Marcella 
Mausch-Jerret,  of  Dresden,  a  distinguished 
pianist. 

Wilhelmj 's  first  appearance  in  America  took 
place  on  September  26,  1878,  in  New  York, 
and  his  playing  caused  an  unusual  demonstra- 
tion. He  was  described  in  the  following 
words :  "His  figure  is  stately,  his  face  and 
attitude  suggest  reserve  force  and  that 
majestic  calm  which  seems  to  befit  great 
power.  ...  A  famous  philosopher  once  said 
that  beauty  consists  of  an  exact  balance  be- 
tween the  intellect  and  the  imagination.  The 
violin  performance  of  Wilhelmj  exhibits  this 
just  proportion  more  perfectly  than  the  work 
of  any  other  artist  of  whom  we  have  personal 
knowledge.  Wilhelmj  himself  has  said, 
*  After  all,   what   the  people    want    is  intel- 


i8jo  to  iSjO.  237 

lectual  playing,'  that  is,  playing  with  a  clear 
understanding." 

Neither  his  character  nor  his  playing  was 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  appeal  to  the  great 
mass  of  people  in  the  w^ay  in  which  Remenyi 
and  Ole  Bull  won  their  hearts.  Wilhelmj 
was  massive  in  person  and  in  tone.  He 
stood  for  dignity  in  his  actions,  appearance, 
and  playing,  and  was  honoured  by  the  more 
cultivated  and  educated  portion  of  the  people. 

He  is  regarded  by  musicians  as  one  of  the 
greatest  violinists  who  ever  visited  America, 
and  at  the  present  day  visiting  artists  are 
spoken  of  as  ''  one  of  the  best  since  Wil- 
helmj," or,  "  not  to  be  compared  with  Wil- 
helmj," and  by  many  Ysaye  is  regarded  as 
*'  the  best  —  since  Wilhelmj." 

Martin  Pierre  Joseph  Marsick,  who  was 
born  at  Jupille,  near  Liege,  on  March  9,  1 848, 
is  one  of  the  foremost  solo  and  quartet  violin- 
ists of  the  day,  with  a  remarkable  technique 
and  admirable  intelligence,  power,  and  fire. 


238  Famous  Violinists. 

When  eight  years  of  age  he  was  placed  at 
the  music  school  at  Liege,  where  in  two 
years  he  gained  the  first  prize  in  the  prepara- 
tory classes.  In  1864  he  secured  the  gold 
medal,  which  is  awarded  only  to  pupils  of 
extraordinary  talent. 

He  now  entered  the  Brussels  Conserva- 
toire, where  his  expenses  were  met  by  a 
lady  who  was  a  musical  enthusiast,  and  he 
studied  for  two  years  under  Leonard,  work- 
ing at  the  same  time  in  composition  under 
Kufferath.  In  1868  he  went  to  Paris,  where 
he  studied  for  a  season  under  Massart. 

In  1870  Marsick  proceeded  to  Berlin, 
where,  through  the  instrumentality  of  a 
government  subvention,  he  was  enabled  to 
study  under  Joachim.  After  that  he  began 
to  travel,  and  soon  acquired  a  great  reputa- 
tion. He  was  said  to  equal,  if  not  exceed, 
Sarasate  in  the  wonderful  celerity  of  his 
scales,  and  in  lightness  and  certainty.  His 
tone  is  not  very  full,  but  is  sweet  and  clear. 


MARSICK 


til 


iSjo  to  j8^o.  239 

His  playing  is   also  marked  by  exceptional 
smoothness,  scholarly  phrasing,  and  graceful 
accentuation,  but,  in  comparison  with  some 
of  the  other  great  players,  he  lacks  breadth 
and  passion.     He  appeals  rather  to  the  edu- 
cated musician   than  to   the  general   public, 
and  for  that  reason  many  people  were  some- 
what  disappointed   when    he    played    in   the 
United  States  in    1896.     He  was  compared 
with  Ysaye,  a  player  of  an  entirely  different 
stamp,  and  he  suffered  in  popular  estimation 
by  the  comparison. 

To  this  period  also  belong  a  number  of 
excellent  violinists  whose  names  are  seldom 
heard  in  America.  Edmund  Singer,  a  Hun- 
garian, born  in  1 831,  by  dint  of  hard  work 
and  talent  reached  a  high  position.  He 
became  celebrated  as  a  teacher,  and  was  for 
years  professor  of  violin  at  the  conservatory 
in  Stuttgart.  He  was  also  largely  instru- 
mental in  the  establishment  of  the  Musical 
Artists'  Society  of  that  place. 


240  Famous  Violinists. 

Ferdinand  Laub  was  a  virtuoso  of  high 
rank  who  was  born  in  Prague  in  1832.  He 
succeeded  Joachim  at  Weimar,  but  two  years 
later  became  violin  teacher  at  the  Stern-Marx 
conservatory  in  Berlin,  also  concert-master 
of  the  royal  orchestra  and  chamber  vir- 
tuoso. 

Heinrich  Karl  de  Ahna  was  an  excellent 
artist,  and  was  for  some  years  second  violin 
in  the  famous  Joachim  quartet.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  had  already  made  a  success- 
ful concert  tour,  and  become  chamber  vir- 
tuoso to  the  Duke  of  Coburg-Gotha.  He 
then  abandoned  the  musical  profession  and 
entered  the  army,  fighting  in  the  Italian 
campaign  as  lieutenant.  After  the  war  he 
returned  to  his  profession,  and  became  leader 
of  the  royal  band  in  Berlin  and  professor 
at  the  Hochschule.      He  died  in  1892. 

Russia  also  produced  an  excellent  vio- 
linist, Wasil  Wasilewic  Besekirskij,  who  was 
born  at  Moscow,  and  after  a  career  as  vir- 


i8jo  to  18^0.  241 

tuoso  in  the  west  of  Europe  returned  to  his 
native  city.  He  is  the  composer  of  some 
good  violin  music  and  has  formed  some  ex- 
cellent pupils,  of  whom  Gregorowitsch  is 
perhaps  best  known. 

In  England,  John  Tiplady  Carrodus  and 
the  Holmes  brothers  attained  high  rank. 
Carrodus  was  a  native  of  Keighley,  York- 
shire. His  father  was  a  barber,  and  it  was 
only  by  the  most  constant  self-denial  and 
incessant  hard  work  that  the  boy  succeeded 
in  securing  his  education.  He  walked  with 
his  father  twelve  miles  in  order  to  hear 
Vieuxtemps  play,  and  to  take  his  lessons  he 
walked  each  week  ten  miles  to  Bradford, 
usually  getting  a  ride  back  in  the  carrier's 
cart.  He  became  a  pupil  of  Molique,  and 
eventually  one  of  the  best  known  violinists 
of  England,  where  his  character  as  a  man  was 
always  highly  respected. 

Alfred  Holmes  was  born  in   1837  and  his 
brother  Henry  in   1839.     They  appeared  to- 


242  Famous  Violinists. 

gether  at  the  Haymarket  Theatre  in  1847, 
but  immediately  withdrew  from  pubhc  life 
and  continued  their  studies  for  six  more 
years.  In  1853  they  again  appeared  in 
London,  and  then  made  a  long  concert  tour 
through  the  north  of  Europe.  Finally  they 
settled  in  Paris,  where,  nine  years  later, 
Alfred  died.  Henry  Holmes  became  the 
chief  professor  of  violin  at  the  Royal  Col- 
lege of  Music  in  London,  and  has  been  also 
active  as  a  composer  and  editor  of  violin 
works. 

Jacob  Griin,  too,  who  was  born  in  1837  at 
Buda-Pesth,  and  who,  after  a  career  as  con- 
cert soloist  in  Europe,  became  a  teacher  in 
the  Vienna  conservatory,  should  not  be  for- 
gotten. Several  of  his  pupils  are  now  hold- 
ing valuable  positions  in  the  United  States, 
and  he  is  an  excellent  teacher,  besides  being 
popular  and  kind-hearted. 

Eduard  Rappoldi,  the  leader  of  the  Royal 
Court    Orchestra   at    Dresden,    has   a    high 


1 8^0  to  18^0.  243 

reputation  as  a  sound  and  earnest  player 
and  excellent  teacher.  He  was  born  in 
Vienna  in  1839,  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  XAXCiO,  a 
teacher  in  the  Hochschule  at  Berlin,  but 
went  to  Dresden  in  1877. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

JOACHIM. 

Joseph  Joachim  is  one  of  the  musical 
giants  of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  will 
be  remembered  as  one  whose  life  has  been 
interwoven  with  the  lives  of  the  greatest 
musicians  of  his  day,  as  one  of  the  great- 
est educators  in  his  line  who  ever  lived,  and 
as  the  embodiment  of  the  purest  and  highest 
ideas  in  public  performance. 

Joachim  is  called  the  greatest  violinist  of 
modern  times,  and  no  better  words  can  be 
found  to  describe  his  characteristics  than 
those  of  Wasielewski,  who  says  :  "  Joachim's 
incomparable  violin  playing  is  the  true  chef- 
d'oeuvre,  the  ideal  of  a  perfect  violinist  (so 
far  as  we  present-day  critics  can  judge).   Less 

244 


'    '  ,   '  :> 


JOACHIM, 


W^ 


Joachim.  245 

cannot,  dare  not,  be  said,  but,  at  the  same 
time,  more  cannot  be  said  of  him  or  of  any 
one,  and  it  is  enough.  But  that  which  raises 
him  above  all  other  contemporary  violinists 
and  musicians  generally  is  the  line  he  takes 
in  his  professional  life.  He  is  no  virtuoso  in 
the  ordinary  sense,  for  he  is  far  more,  —  before 
all  he  will  be  a  musician.  And  that  he  un- 
questionably is,  —  a  magnificent  example  to 
young  people,  who  are  to  some  extent  pos- 
sessed of  the  demon  of  vanity,  of  what  they 
should  do  and  what  they  should  leave 
undone.  Joachim  makes  music,  and  his 
preeminent  capabilities  are  directed  toward 
the  serving  one  true,  genuine  art,  and  he  is 
right." 

Joachim  was  born  on  June  28,  183 1,  in 
the  village  of  Kittsee,  in  Hungary,  within 
the  small  radius  which  has  produced  three 
other  great  musicians,  —  Haydn,  Hummel, 
and  Liszt.  He  began  to  study  the  violin 
when  he  was  five  years  old,  and  was  placed 


246  Famous  Violinists. 

under  Servaczinski,  leader  of  the  opera  or- 
chestra at  Pesth.  In  two  years  he  made  his 
first  public  appearance  at  a  concert  at  Pesth, 
when  he  played  a  duet  concerto  for  two  vio- 
lins and  orchestra  with  his  master,  and  a  solo 
on  a  theme  by  Schubert,  with  variations.  He 
was  now  (1841)  sent  to  Vienna,  where  he 
entered  the  conservatoire  and  studied  under 
Bohm  for  two  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time 
he  went  to  Leipzig,  where  he  met  with  Men- 
delssohn and  played  in  a  concert  of  Madame 
Viardot's.  A  few  months  later  he  appeared 
as  a  finished  artist  in  a  Gewandhaus  con- 
cert, and  played  Ernst's  "  Otello  Fantasie." 
Leipzig  was  then,  under  Mendelssohn's 
guidance,  in  the  zenith  of  its  fame,  and  for 
a  boy  of  twelve  to  appear  in  a  Gewandhaus 
concert  and  earn,  not  only  the  applause  of 
the  audience,  but  also  the  praise  of  the  critics, 
was  something  very  unusual.  But  a  still 
greater  honour  was  in  store  for  him,  —  the 
following  year  he  took   part,  in  a   Gewand- 


Joachim.  247 

haus  concert,  in  a  concertante  for  four  vio- 
lins by  Maurer,  the  other  performers  being 
Ernst,  Bazzini,  and  David,  all  violinists  of 
renown  and  very  much  his  seniors. 

Joachim   remained  in  Leipzig  until   1850, 
studying  with  Ferdinand  David,  while  Haupt- 
mann  gave  him   instruction  in  composition, 
though  during  this  time  he  occasionally  trav- 
elled in  Germany  and  elsewhere  to  play  in 
concerts.  Thus  in  1 844  Mendelssohn  brought 
him  to  England,  where  he  played  in  public 
for  the  first  time  at  a  benefit  concert  of  Mr. 
Bunn's  at  Drury  Lane,  in  March,  1844,  and 
in  May  of  the  same  year  he  appeared  at  the 
fifth  Philharmonic  concert  and  played   Bee- 
thoven's concerto  with  very  great  success.    In 
this  year  two  other  violinists  of  note  made 
their    first   appearance  at    the   Philharmonic 
concerts,  —  Ernst    and    Sainton,  also   Piatti, 
the  great  violon^cellist.     Joachim  visited  Eng- 
land again  in    1847,  and  since  that   time  so 
frequently  that  he  became  one  of  the  regular 


248  Famous  Violinists. 

features  of  musical  life  in  that  country,  where 
he  has  been  so  highly  honoured. 

Joachim's  first  appearance  in  Paris  was 
made  in  1849,  when  he  spent  two  months  in 
that  city,  and  began  his  successes  by  playing 
in  an  orchestral  concert  given  by  Hector 
Berlioz.  About  this  time  P'^ranz  Liszt,  who 
had  heard  of  Joachim's  rapidly  increasing 
reputation,  invited  him  to  go  to  Weimar 
and  lead  the  orchestra  which  he  conducted. 
Joachim  accepted  the  invitation  and  remained 
in  Weimar  two  years.  He  could  never  be 
brought  to  see  the  beauty  of  the  new  school 
of  music,  and  while  he  recognised  the  extraor- 
dinary gifts,  and  admired  the  personality 
and  brilliant  qualities  of  Liszt,  he  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  remain  in  Weimar 
longer  than  two  years. 

In  1854  he  accepted  the  post  of  conductor 
and  solo  violinist  to  the  King  of  Hanover,  a 
position  which  he  retained  for  twelve  years, 
during  which  time  he  enhanced  his  reputa- 


Joachim.  249 

tion  as  a  musician,  and  married  Amalia 
Weiss,  a  celebrated  contralto  singer.  In 
1866  the  troubles  which  enveloped  Germany 
brought  Joachim's  engagement  in  Hanover  to 
an  end,  but  two  years  later  he  entered  upon 
what  has  proved  to  be  the  most  important 
part  of  his  career,  when  he  was  appointed 
professor  of  violin  at  the  Hochschule  for 
music  in  Berlin.  This  school  was  a  new 
branch  of  the  already  existing  Academy  of 
Arts,  and  was  to  be  a  high  school  for 
musical  execution,  as  apart  from  composi- 
tion. 

Joachim  threw  his  whole  heart  into  the 
new  work  before  him,  and  the  branch  of 
the  school  under  his  direction  soon  rivalled 
any  similar  school.  Various  branches  were 
added  to  the  school,  —  in  1871  a  class  for 
organ,  in  1872  classes  for  brass  instruments, 
double-bass,  and  solo  vocalists,  in  1873  a 
chorus  class.  In  1875  the  Royal  Academy 
of   Arts    was    reorganised    and    became   the 


250  Famous  Violinists. 

Royal  High  School  for  Music,  with  Joachim 
as  director. 

That  Joachim  had  earned  a  very  high  posi- 
tion as  early  as  1859  is  shown  by  an  extract 
from  the  Musical  World  of  London,  in  that 
year. 

"  So  long  as  virtuosi  walked  (or  galloped) 
in  their  proper  sphere,  they  amused  by  their 
mechanical  tours  de  force,  charmed  by  their 
finesse  and  did  no  great  harm  to  musical 
taste.  They  were  accepted  cum  grano  salis, 
applauded  for  their  dexterity,  and  admired 
for  the  elegance  with  which  they  were  able 
to  elaborate  thoughts  in  themselves  of  every 
slight  artistic  worth.  But  recently  our  '  vir- 
tuosi'  have  been  oppressed  with  a  notion 
that,  to  succeed  in  this  country,  they  must 
invade  and  carry  by  storm  the  *  classics  '  of 
the  art,  instead  of  adhering  exclusively  as 
of  old  to  their  own  fantasies  and  jeux  de 
marteaux.  One  composition  after  another  by 
the  great  masters  is  seized  upon  and  worried. 


Joachim.  251 

If  they  were  things  of  flesh  and  blood,  and 
could  feel  the  gripe,  be  conscious  of  the 
teeth,  and  appreciate  the  fangs  of  these  rapid- 
devouring  '  virtuosi,'  concertos,  sonatas,  trios, 
etc.,  would  indeed  be  in  a  pitiable  condition. 
Happily,  being  of  the  spirit,  they  bleed  not, 
but  are  immortal. 

"  One  great  result  attending  Herr  Joa- 
chim's professional  visit  to  London  is,  that  it 
enables  both  professors  and  amateurs  oppor- 
tunity after  opportunity  of  studying  his  man- 
ner of  playing  the  works  of  the  giants  of 
music.  How  Herr  Joachim  executes  these 
compositions  —  how  differently  from  the  self- 
styled  *  virtuosi,'  how  purely,  how  modestly, 
how  wholly  forgetful  of  himself  in  the  text  he 
considers  it  an  honour  being  allowed  to 
interpret  to  the  crowd  —  we  need  scarcely 
remind  our  readers.  Not  a  single  eccentri- 
city of  carriage  or  demeanour,  not  a  moment 
of  egotistical  display,  to  remind  his  hearers 
that,  although   Beethoven  is  being  played,  it 


252  Famous  Violinists. 

is  Joachim  who  is  playing,  ever  escapes  this 
truly  admirable  and  (if  words  might  be  al- 
lowed to  bear  their  legitimate  signification) 
most  accomplished  of  'virtuosi.'  " 

As  an  example  of  Joachim's  conscientious- 
ness, the  following  little  anecdote  will  serve 
to  give  an  idea.  Joachim  once  introduced 
into  the  point  d'orgiie  of  Beethoven's  con- 
certo a  cadence  terminated  by  a  trait  en 
octave,  which  caused  an  extraordinary  effect. 
People  spoke  only  of  this  cadence  ;  it  was  the 
event  of  the  evening  wherever  he  played. 
This  success  wounded  his  feelings  of  artistic 
probity ;  he  considered  it  unbecoming  that 
people  should  be  more  taken  up  with  the 
skill  of  the  executant  than  with  the  beauties 
of  the  music,  and  the  cadence  was  sup- 
pressed. 

During  the  many  years  of  his  connection 
with  the  Hochschule,  Joachim's  personal 
influence  has  been  exerted  upon  a  large  num- 
ber of  pupils,  in  fact  almost  every  well-known 


Joachim.  253 

violin  player  has  been  to  Berlin  to  seek  his 
advice  and  instruction,  and  the  players  he  has 
perfected  are  almost  without  number.  Many 
anecdotes  are  told  concerning  his  kindness  to 
his  pupils,  but  so  greatly  is  he  sought  after 
that  comparatively  few  of  the  hundreds  who 
flock  to  Berlin  are  able  to  reach  him. 

Joachim's  early  training  and  education 
developed  his  character  both  as  a  musician 
and  as  a  man.  The  influence  of  Mendels- 
sohn, whose  friendship  ended  only  with  his 
death,  of  David,  Schumann,  Liszt,  Berlioz, 
and  Brahms,  who  was  largely  indebted  to 
Joachim  for  the  introduction  of  many  of  his 
works  to  the  public,  brought  out  the  thor- 
ough uprightness,  firmness  of  character  and 
earnestness  of  purpose,  and  that  intense  dis- 
like of  all  that  is  artificial  or  untrue  in  art, 
which  have  made  him  a  great  moral  power  in 
the  musical  world. 

He  combines  in  a  unique  degree  the 
highest     executive    powers    with    the   most 


254  Famous  Violhiists. 

excellent  musicianship.  Unsurpassed  as  a 
master  of  the  instrument,  he  uses  his  powers 
of  execution  in  the  services  of  art,  and  repre- 
sents the  perfection  of  a  pure  style  and  legiti- 
mate school,  with  breadth  and  fidelity  of 
interpretation.  His  performances  undoubt- 
edly derive  their  charm  and  merit  from  the 
strength  of  his  talent  and  of  his  artistic 
character,  and  are  stamped  with  a  striking 
originality  of  conception  ;  at  the  same  time 
fidelity  to  the  text,  and  careful  endeavour 
to  enter  into  the  spirit  and  feeling  of  the 
composer,  are  the  principles  of  executive  art 
which  Joachim  has  invariably  practised. 

In  the  rendering  of  Bach's  solos,  Beetho- 
ven's concertos  and  quartets,  he  has  no 
rival,  and  for  the  revival  of  many  great  works 
the  musical  world  is  indebted  to  him.  Of 
these,  one  instance  may  be  cited,  viz.,  the  vio- 
lin concerto  (Op.  6i)  of  Beethoven,  which  was 
first  played  by  Clement,  December  23,  1806. 
This  concerto  bears  evidence  of  having  been 


Joachim.  255 

written  in  a  hurry.  Clement  played  it  at 
sight  without  rehearsal,  and,  as  a  conse- 
quence of  its  being  brought  forward  in  such 
a  slipshod  manner,  it  was  very  seldom  heard 
until  its  revival  by  Joachim.  The  MS. 
shows  that  the  solo  part  was  the  object 
of  much  thought  and  alteration  by  the 
composer,  but  evidently  after  the  first  per- 
formance. 

As  a  composer,  Joachim  has  contributed 
work  of  value  to  the  literature  of  the  violin. 
His  "  Hungarian  Concerto  "  is  a  creation  of 
real  grandeur,  built  up  in  noble  symphonic 
proportions.  Most  of  his  works  are  of  a 
grave,  somewhat  melancholy  character,  and 
all  of  them  are  marked  by  earnestness  of 
purpose  and  a  high  ideal. 

The  jubilee  of  Joachim's  life  as  a  violin 
player  was  celebrated  in  Berlin  with  great 
ceremony  and  with  unusual  honour,  and  in 
England  a  demonstration  was  made  in  his 
honour  by  the  public,  who  subscribed  a  sum 


256  Famoiis  Violinists. 

of  about  $6,000,  with  which  was  purchased 
an  instrument  of  wonderful  beauty,  a  cele- 
brated **Red  Strad,'*  which  was  presented 
to  him  at  a  public  meeting  held  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  Monday  Popular  Concerts,  in 
1888. 

This  celebration  was,  however,  quite 
eclipsed  by  that  of  the  sixtieth  anniversary 
of  his  first  public  appearance,  which  was 
held  at  Berlin  on  April  22,  1899.  ^  grand 
concert  was  given  at  the  Philharmonic,  with 
an  orchestra  consisting  of  two  hundred  per- 
formers. There  were  ninety  violins,  thirty 
violas,  twenty-one  'celli,  and  twenty  double- 
basses,  and  of  these  all  except  the  double- 
basses  had  been  pupils  of  Joachim,  the  violas 
and  'celli  having  been  his  pupils  in  chamber 
music.  They  had  come  from  all  over  Europe 
to  take  part  in  the  festival.  Nearly  half  of 
the  violins  were  concert-masters,  and  many 
of  them  famous  soloists,  as  Carl  Halir,  Henri 
Petri,  Jeno  Hubay,  Willy  Hess,  Gustav  Hoi- 


JoacJiim.  257 

laender,  Gabrielle  Wietrowitz,  Marie  Soldat, 
and  others. 

Joachim  entered  the  hall  at  half-past  six, 
and  was  greeted  with  a  deafening  fanfare 
played  by  the  combined  trumpeters  of  the 
military  bands  stationed  in  Berlin.  The 
audience  rose  in  a  body  and  added  its  cheers 
to  the  noise  of  the  trumpets.  A  large  arm- 
chair, beautifully  decorated  with  flowers  and 
wreaths,  was  reserved  as  a  seat  of  honour 
for  the  great  musician. 

The  seventh  number  on  the  programme 
was  left  vacant,  but  when  it  was  reached  the 
orchestra  began  the  introduction  to  Beetho- 
ven's concerto.  No  soloist  was  in  sight, 
but  Gabrielle  Wietrov/itz  and  Marie  Soldat, 
his  most  celebrated  women  pupils,  came 
slowly  down  toward  Joachim's  chair,  one 
carrying  a  violin  and  the  other  a  bow,  which 
they  placed  in  his  hands.  Joachim,  however, 
did  not  wish  to  play,  and  did  not  yield  ex- 
cept under  the  force  of  persuasion,  and  then 


258  Famous  Violinists. 

he  said  :  "  I  have  not  had  a  violin  in  my 
hands  for  three  days  ;  I  am  in  no  mood  to 
play ;  moreover,  there  are  many  in  the  or- 
chestra who  can  play  it  better  than  I,  but 
I  don't  want  to  refuse."  So  Joachim  played 
the  great  concerto,  and  received  an  ovation 
such  as  had  probably  never  been  accorded 
to  him  before.  Then  he  conducted  Bach's 
concerto  in  G  major  for  strings,  which 
was  played  by  sixty-six  violins,  fifty-seven 
violas,  twenty-four  'celli,  and  twenty  double- 
basses,  and  this  brought  the  concert  to  a 
close. 

The  concert  was  followed  by  a  banquet 
at  which  there  were  eight  hundred  guests, 
and  the  festivities  lasted  until  four  o'clock 
the  next  morning.  No  violinist  was  ever 
more  respected  or  beloved  by  his  pupils, 
nor  did  one  ever  wield  a  more  powerful 
influence  in  the  musical  world.  To  be  put 
forward  by  Joachim  gives  one  a  high  stand- 
ing in  the  musical  world  to  begin  with,  but 


Joachim,  259 

few  indeed  are  those  who  receive  this  priv- 
ilege in  comparison  with  those  who  desire  it. 
Joachim    is    not    a    builder    of    technique 
or  a  teacher  of    beginners.     Pupils  who  are 
accepted  by  him   must  be  already  proficient 
technicians,   and  it  may  be  stated    that   the 
teacher  who  can  prepare  pupils  for  Joachim 
stands  high  in  the  profession.      Joachim  is 
a   great   adviser,    a    former  of    style,   and  a 
master    of    interpretation,    to    whom    pupils 
flock  two  or  three  years  too  early,  and  feel 
aggrieved  if  they  are  not  at  once  accepted. 

"  What  else  can  you  do  ? "  he  once  asked 
of  a  young  man  who  desired  to  become  a 
great  violinist,  and  had  sought  Joachim's 
advice. 

"I  think  I  would  like  to  study  for  the 
ministry,"  was  the  reply. 

"  It  is  much  better  to  be  a  good  minister 
than  a  poor  violinist,"  said  Joachim,  looking 
him  full  in  the  face. 

His   liberality    is  proverbial,    and    after   a 


26o  Famous  Violinists. 

long  and  successful  life,  during  which  he 
has  received  high  salaries,  he  is  not  rich. 
He  seldom  refuses  to  play  gratis  for  any 
really  worthy  object,  and  the  anecdotes  of 
his  kindness  toward  his  pupils  are  without 
number. 

Few  men  have  shone  with  such  an  even, 
steady  lustre,  through  a  long  life.  Others 
have  come  up,  flourished,  and  sunk  into 
oblivion,  but  the  light  of  Joachim  has  shone 
steadily  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and  as 
an  interpreter  of  the  classics  he  has  never 
been  excelled,  and  perhaps  never  will  be. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

VIOLINISTS    OF    TO  -  DAY. 

In  these  latter  days  the  number  of  good 
vioHnists  seems  to  have  increased  greatly.  A 
season  seldom  passes  without  witnessing  the 
debut  of  some  half-dozen  aspirants  for  public 
approbation,  but  the  great  majority  of  them 
settle  down  into  some  special  field  of  labour, 
and  do  not  acquire  world-wide  fame  as  vir- 
tuosi. 

Virtuosity  to-day  depends  very  largely  on 
the  art  of  advertising.  In  the  old  days  of 
Viotti  and  Spohr,  the  violinist  would  remain 
in  a  city  for  months,  make  acquaintances, 
and  gradually  acquire  a  reputation  which 
would  justify  his  giving  some  concerts.     A 

261 


262  Famous  Violinists. 

tour  lasting  from  three  to  six  years  would 
cover  a  comparatively  small  amount  of 
territory. 

To-day  the  concert  agent  searches  among 
the  new  lights  for  one  or  two  who  seem,  in 
his  judgment,  likely  to  please  the  audiences 
to  whom  he  caters,  and  who  will  justify  the 
curiosity  roused  by  the  wholesale  advertising 
done  in  their  behalf. 

The  violinist  is  rushed  from  one  place  to 
another  with  mechanical  precision,  and  flits 
from  Maine  to  California  and  from  Canada 
to  the  Gulf  in  a  few  short  weeks.  There 
are  more  soloists,  more  concerts,  more  musi- 
cal organisations  than  ever  before. 

It  does  not  follow  by  any  means  that  the 
travelling  virtuoso  is  one  of  the  greatest 
violinists  of  his  time.  There  are,  in  every 
city  of  Europe  and  in  many  cities  of  Amer- 
ica, violinists  who  equal  or  even  excel  many 
of  those  who  are  exploited  as  virtuosi.  The 
great  violinists  are   not   to    be  found   every 


Violinists  of  To-day.  263 

day.     In  the  past  twenty  years,  perhaps,  not 
more  than  two   can   be   recalled    who    have 
visited  the  United  States  as   mature,   great 
artists,  —  Wilhelmj   and  Ysaye.     Many  vio- 
linists of  excellent  ability  have  been  heard, 
and  to  some  of  them  some  day  the  adjective 
great  may  be  applied.     The  fact  that  they 
have  devoted  their  energies  to  concert  work, 
and  have  been   favourably   received  by   the 
most  important  musical  organisations,  makes 
them    celebrated,    but    the    word  great    can 
apply  but  to  few. 

Adolf  Brodsky,  who  came  to  America  in 
1892,  and  who  is  a  violinist  of  much  ability, 
with    a    beautiful    tone,    facile    and    brilliant 
technique,  but  somewhat  lacking  in  elegance 
and  polish,  did  not  come  to  tour  the  country 
as    a   virtuoso.       He   was    engaged    by    Mr. 
Walter     Damrosch     as     concert-master     for 
the    New   York    orchestra,    but    during    his 
stay  in   this    country   he   appeared   in   many 
of    the   most    important    concerts,    and    was 


264  Famous  Violinists, 

considered   one  of   the    best    violinists    who 
had  ever  come  to  live  in  America. 

Brodsky  was  born  in  185 1  at  Taganrog, 
in  Southern  Russia,  and  was  one  of  those 
who  found  his  profession  at  the  age  of  four, 
when  he  bought  a  violin  at  a  fair,  and  began 
to  pick  out  Russian  folk-tunes. 

For  four  years  he  was  taught  music  at 
home,  and  made  good  progress.  Then  a 
wealthy  gentleman  was  attracted  by  his 
talent,  hearing  him  play  at  a  concert  at 
Odessa,  and  provided  the  funds  necessary 
for  him  to  go  to  Vienna  and  study  under 
Hellmesberger.  He  became  second  violin  in 
the  celebrated  Hellmesberger  Quartet,  and 
thus  gained  a  great  reputation  as  a  quartet 
player. 

After  travelling  all  over  Europe  for  four 
years,  he  was  appointed  second  professor  of 
the  violin  at  the  Conservatory  of  Moscow, 
where  he  remained  another  four  years.  Then 
followed  more  study  and   more  travel   until, 


SAURET. 


Violinists  of  To-day.  265 

when  Schradieck  accepted  the  position  of 
violin  teacher  at  the  Cincinnati  conservatory, 
Brodsky  was  appointed  to  fill  his  place  at 
Leipzig.  In  1892  he  was  called  to  New 
York,  but,  owing  to  troubles  which  arose  in 
the  musical  profession,  he  returned  to  Eu- 
rope the  following  year,  and,  after  a  short 
sojourn  in  Berlin,  received  the  appointment 
of  director  of  the  Royal  College  of  Music 
at  Manchester,  England,  where  he  succeeded 
Sir  Charles  Halle. 

Emil  Sauret  is  well  known  in  America, 
for  he  visited  the  United  States  in  1872- 
73,  and  made  a  tour  which  was  so  suc- 
cessful, that  it  was  repeated  in  1874, 
when  he  travelled  with  lima  di  Murska,  the 
great  singer,  and  his  wife,  Teresa  Careno, 
the  pianist. 

Sauret  began  his  public  career  at  the  age 
of  eight.  He  was  born  at  Dun-le-Roi,  in  the 
department  of  Cher,  in  France,  in  1852,  and 
at  the  age  of  six  entered  the  conservatory  at 


266  Famous  Violinists. 

Strasburg,  after  some  preliminary  instruc- 
tion at  home.  In  two  years  he  began  his 
travels,  and  for  several  years  he  divided  his 
time  between  study  and  travel. 

As  a  boy  he  was  taken  up  by  De  Beriot, 
who  was  much  interested  in  his  welfare. 
He  studied  under  Vieuxtemps  in  Paris,  and 
in  1872  was  one  of  the  artists  engaged  for 
the  tour  organised  by  the  President  of  the 
French  Republic  for  the  relief  of  the  suf- 
ferers by  the  Franco-German  war. 

In  1879  he  was  appointed  teacher  at  the 
Stern  Conservatory  in  Berlin,  a  post  which 
he  relinquished  on  being  offered  the  position 
made  vacant  in  the  Royal  Academy  of  Music, 
London,  by  the  death  of  Sainton. 

M.  Sauret  is  pronounced  conservative  and 
conscientious  to  the  last  degree  in  handling 
the  classics,  and,  although  he  has  great 
individuality,  passion,  and  fire,  he  would 
consider  it  a  sacrilege  to  obtrude  his  own 
personality  upon  the  listener.     He  is  distin. 


Violinists  of  To-day.  267 

guished  for  elegance  rather  than  perfection 
of  technique.  He  may  be  considered  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  extreme  French  school. 

In  temperament  he  is  quick  and  somewhat 
impatient.  He  expects  much  of  his  pupils, 
and  is  the  very  opposite  of  the  painstaking, 
phlegmatic  Wilhelmj. 

In  1896  M.  Sauret  again  visited  the 
United  States,  when  it  was  admitted  by 
those  who  had  heard  him  twenty  years 
before  that  he  had  grown  to  a  consummate 
and  astounding  virtuoso.  His  tone  was  firm, 
pure,  and  beautiful,  though  not  large.  Mar- 
sick  and  Ondricek  had  preceded  him  by  a 
few  weeks,  but  Sauret  did  not  suffer  by 
comparison. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  violinists  of 
the  present  day  is  Cesar  Thomson,  who  was 
born  at  Liege  in  1857.  He  entered  the 
conservatory  of  his  native  place,  after  re- 
ceiving some  instruction  from  his  father, 
and  had  completed  the  regular  course  by  the 


268  Famous  Violinists. 

time  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  after  which 
he  became  a  pupil  of  Leonard. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  made  a  concert 
tour  through  Italy,  and  while  there  became 
a  member  of  the  private  orchestra  of  the 
Baron  de  Derwies.  In  1879  ^^  became  a 
member  of  the  Bilse  Orchestra,  and  in  1882, 
having  won  distinction  at  the  musical  festival 
at  Brussels,  he  was  appointed  professor  of 
the  violin  in  the  Liege  conservatory. 

Most  of  his  travelling  has  been  done  since 
that  time,  and  he  has  acquired  an  immense 
reputation  in  Europe.  In  Leipzig,  at  a 
Gewandhaus  concert  in  1891,  he  made  a 
phenomenal  success,  and  in  1898  at  Brussels 
he  received  five  enthusiastic  recalls  from  a 
cold  and  critical  audience,  for  his  magnificent 
performance  of  the  Brahms  concerto. 

M.  Thomson's  command  of  all  the  tech- 
nical resources  of  the  violin  is  so  great  that 
he  can  play  the  most  terrific  passages  with- 
out sacrificing  his  lone  or  clearness  of  phras- 


Violhiists  of  To-day.  269 

ing,  and  his  octave  playing  almost  equals 
that  of  Paganini  himself.  Yet  he  is  lacking 
in  personal  magnetism,  and  is  a  player  for 
the  musically  cultivated  rather  than  for  the 
multitude,  though  his  technique  fills  the 
listener  with  wonder.  He  visited  the  United 
States  in  1896,  and  was,  like  Marsick,  com- 
pared with  Ysaye,  who  at  that  time  swept 
everything  before  himx  and  carried  the 
country  by  storm. 

In  1897  Cesar  Thomson  left  Liege,  owing, 
it  is  said,  to  disagreements  at  the  Conser- 
vatoire, and  made  his  home  at  Brussels. 

The  greatest  of  Belgian  violinists  of  to- 
day is  Eugene  Ysaye,  who  possesses  that 
magnetism  which  charms  alike  the  musician 
and  the  amateur,  because  of  his  perfect 
musical  expression.  He  possesses  the  in- 
explicable and  inexpressible  something  which 
takes  cold  judgment  off  its  feet  and  leads 
criticism  captive. 

Ysaye  was  born  at   Liege  in    1858,  and. 


270  Famous  Violinists. 

after  studying  at  the  conservatories  of  his 
native  town  under  his  father  and  at  Brussels, 
entered  that  of  Paris,  where  he  completed 
the  course  in  1881,  and  immediately  after- 
ward started  on  a  series  of  concert  tours. 
Ysaye's  eminence  as  a  violinist  has  been 
gained  by  hard  work.  He  did  not  burst 
meteor-like  upon  the  world,  but  he  earned 
his  position  in  the  violin  firmament  by  ten 
years  of  concert  touring,  during  which  time 
he  passed  successively  through  the  stages 
of  extreme  sentimentality  until  he  reached 
the  "  sea  "  of  real  sentiment. 

It  was  in  1873  that  Ysaye,  after  prepara- 
tion given  chiefly  by  his  father,  made  his 
way  to  Brussels  and  sought  out  Wieniawski, 
then  professor  at  the  Conservatoire.  Wie- 
niawski was  teaching,  when  a  note  was 
brought  to  him  marked  "private  and  im- 
portant." The  servant  was  told  to  show 
the  bearer  in,  and  Ysaye,  then  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  timidly  entered  the  room  carry- 


Violinists  of  To-day.  271 

ing    his    violin.     After    a    little    preliminary 
conversation  which  allowed  the  youth  to  tell 
his  history,  Wieniawski  asked  him  what  he 
would  play,  and  in  reply  he  placed  on  the 
piano  desk  a  concerto  of  Vieuxtemps.     The 
result   of    his    performance   was    that    he  at 
once    became    a   pupil    of    Wieniawski,  with 
whom  he  remained  some  three  years,  during 
the  period  in  which  Vieuxtemps  was  recov- 
ering   from    his    paralytic    shock.     In    1876 
Vieuxtemps    heard    him    at    Antwerp,    and 
through    his    influence   the    Belgian  govern- 
ment was  induced  to  grant  Ysaye  a  stipend 
in  order  to  allow  him  to  pursue  his  studies 
at  Paris.     There  he  was  the  pupil  of  Massart, 
who  had  also  been  the  teacher  of  Wieniawski, 
Ysaye's    master    at    Brussels.      Vieuxtemps 
is  said   to  have  expressed  the  desire,  while 
in  Algiers   during  his  latter  years,  to   have 
Ysaye    stay  with  him   to  play  his  composi- 
tions,  but    Ysaye  was   at  that    time    in    St. 
Petersburg.      When    Vieuxtemps    died    and 


»*t:- 


of 


2/2  Famous  Violinists. 

his  remains  were  brought  to  Verviers,  his 
birthplace,  Ysaye  carried  in  the  procession 
the  violin  and  bow  of  the  virtuoso  on  a  black 
velvet  cushion  fringed  with  silver. 

When  Ysaye  first  appeared  in  America 
he  was  a  mature  artist,  the  recognised  leader 
of  the  Belgian  school  of  violinists,  the  first 
professor  of  violin  at  the  Brussels  Conser- 
vatoire, and  the  possessor  of  many  decora- 
tions and  honours  bestowed  upon  him  by 
various  royalties. 

Before  he  had  been  in  America  a  month 
he  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  greatest 
violinist  who  had  visited  this  country  for 
many  years. 

A  man  of  large  and  powerful  physique, 
he  plays  with  a  bold  and  manly  vigour,  and 
yet  with  exquisite  delicacy.  He  is  a  master 
of  phrasing  and  of  all  beauties  of  detail, 
has  a  wonderfully  perfect  technique,  but 
that  quality  which  places  him  at  the  head 
of  all  rivals  is  his  musical  feeling,  his  tem- 


Violinists  of  To-day.  273 

perament.     He  has  been  compared  to  Rubin- 
stein  and   to    Paderewski.      He  inspires   his 
hearers,  or,   as  it   was   once  expressed,  very 
neatly,    *'he    creeps    up    under    your   vest." 
He  disarms  criticism,   and  he  seems   to   be 
more   completely  part  of    his  violin  and  his 
violin  of    him  than  has  been   the  case  with 
any    other    player    who    has    visited    these 
shores  for   some  years.     He   has  given  the 
greatest  performance  of  the  celebrated  Bach 
chaconne  ever  heard  in   America.     He  has 
been   declared  to  be  not  inferior  to  Joachim 
in  his  performance  of  this  work,  though  he 
has  not  so   broad  a  tone  as  the  latter,  nor 
as    Wieniawski.       He    combines    Sarasate's 
tenderness    of    tone    and    showy    technique 
with    more    manliness    and    sincerity    than 
Sarasate  gives. 

The  student,  perhaps,  can  learn  more  from 
C^sar  Thomson  than  from  Ysaye,  but  he  will 
receive  from  the  latter  the  greater  inspira- 
tion. 


2y74  Famous  Violinists. 

Ysaye  is  noted,  too,  for  sincerity  of  purpose 
and  seriousness  such  as  few  of  the  virtuosi 
have  possessed.     He  is  free  from  all  traits  of 
charlatanism  and    trickery.     Once,  when  in 
California,   he  was  asked  for  an   autograph 
copy  of  a  few  measures  of  his  original   ca- 
denza to  the  Beethoven  concerto  (an  embel- 
lishment which  all  violinists  seem  obliged  to 
compose),  but  he  declared  that  he  did  not 
like  the  idea  of  an  original  cadenza  to  Bee- 
thoven's work,  that   it  was   much  better  to 
omit  it,  as  it  formed  no  part  of  the  concerto. 
"  In  original  cadenzas  by  virtuosi,"  he  said, 
"we  find  too  much  violin  and  too  little  mu- 
sic," for  which  confession  from  such  an  artist 
the  world  may  be  truly  grateful. 

When  Ysaye  came  to  America  in  1894  he 
was  prepared  with  a  repertoire  consisting  of 
ninety-one  pieces.  Of  these,  fourteen  were 
concertos,  seventeen  sonatas,  and  eleven  were 
compositions  of  his  own. 

He  made  a  second   tour   in   America   in 


YSAYE. 


Violi7iists  of  To-day.  275 

1898,  when  he  confirmed  the  opinions  al- 
ready formed  as  to  his  wonderful  qualities. 

In  March,  1899,  he  went  to  Berlin,  which 
city  he  had  not  visited  for  several  years,  and 
appeared  as  soloist  of  the  tenth  Nik-'-ch  Phil- 
harmonic concert,  when  he  played  the  E 
major  concerto  by  Bach,  and  scored  an  over- 
whelming success.  At  the  end  of  the  con- 
cert he  was  recalled  some  fifteen  times,  and 
had  completely  exploded  the  idea  so  firmly 
held  in  Berlin,  that  the  Belgians  cannot  play 
the  classics. 

Of  late  years  M.  Ysaye  has  made  his  mark 
as  a  conductor,  and  has  given  a  series  of 
orchestral  concerts  in  Brussels.  He  organ- 
ised and  managed  this  enterprise  entirely  by 
himself,  without  any  guarantee  fund,  and  the 
concerts  were  so  successful,  financially  as 
well  as  artistically,  that  at  the  end  of  the 
season  it  was  found  that  they  had  paid 
all  expenses,  and  this,  as  all  who  know 
anything    about    the    financial    side    of    or- 


2/6  Famous  Violinists, 

chestral    concerts,    is    a    most    remarkable 
showing. 

Few,  if  any,  artists  have  been  made  the 
recipients  of  more  ridiculous  adulation  from 
women  Paderewski  perhaps  being  the  only 
exception,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  his  con- 
certs scenes  have  been  witnessed  which  are 
simply  nauseating.  This  fashion  is  not  con- 
fined, by  any  means,  to  the  United  States,  for 
there  are  anecdotes  from  all  countries  illustra- 
tive of  the  manner  in  which  members  of  the 
fair  sex  vie  with  each  other  in  the  effort  to 
do  the  silliest  things. 

Ysaye  has  a  home  near  the  Palais  de  Jus- 
tice in  Brussels.  He  is  married  to  the 
daughter  of  a  Belgian  army  officer,  and  has 
several  children.  He  is  a  man  of  much 
modesty,  and  is  devoted  to  his  family.  As 
a  violinist  he  may  be  considered  to  rank  next 
to  Joachim. 

Carl  Halir,  who  visited  America  in  1896, 
was  born  in  1859  at  Hohenelbe  in  Bohemia, 


Violinists  of  To-day.  277 

and  was  first  taught  by  his  father.  He  en- 
tered the  conservatory  at  Prague  at  the  age 
of  eight,  and  remained  there  until  he  was 
fourteen,  studying  under  Bennewitz,  after 
which  he  went  to  Berlin  and  became  a 
pupil  of  Joachim. 

For  some  time  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Bilse  orchestra,  and  then  went  to  Konigsberg 
as  concert-master,  after  which  he  held  a 
similar  position  for  three  years  at  Mannheim, 
and  then  at  Weimar,  where  he  married  the 
well-known  singer,  Theresa  Zerbst. 

On  his  first  appearance,  at  the  Bach  festi- 
val at  Eisenath,  he  played  with  Joachim  the 
Bach  double  concerto,  and  was  very  success- 
ful. He  has  made  concert  tours  throughout 
the  greater  part  of  Europe,  and  while  in 
America  he  was  recognised  as  a  broad  ar- 
tist. He  is  no  virtuoso  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  word,  but  a  classical,  non-sensational, 
well-educated  musician,  whose  playing  was 
not  dazzling  or  magnetic,  but  delighted  by  its 


2/8  Famous  Violinists. 

intellectuality.  He  has  an  even  and  sympa- 
thetic tone,  and  inspires  the  greatest  respect 
as  an  artist  and  as  a  man,  and,  while  other 
players  may  make  greater  popular  successes, 
Halir  stands  on  a  high  artistic  plane  which 
few  can  reach. 

Franz  Ondricek,  who  visited  the  United 
States  also  in  1896,  was  born  at  Prague  in 
1859,  the  same  year  as  Halir,  but  is  an  artist 
of  an  entirely  different  stamp.  In  his  early 
youth  he  was  a  member  of  a  dance  music 
band,  and  his  father  taught  him  to  play  the 
violin.  It  was  not  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  that  he  was  able  to  enter  the 
conservatory  of  his  native  town.  Three 
years  later  he  was  sent,  through  the  gen- 
erosity of  a  wealthy  merchant,  to  Paris, 
where  he  became  a  pupil  of  Massart.  He 
shared  with  Achille  Rivarde  the  honour  of 
the  first  prize  at  the  Conservatoire,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  a  wandering  star, 
and  has  never  sought  any  permanent  engage- 


Violinists  of  To-day.  279 

ment.  His  playing  is  marked  by  individuality 
and  dash,  but  he  does  not  show  to  the  best 
advantage  in  the  interpretation  of  the  classics. 

Charles  Martin  Loeffler,  who  shares  the 
first  desk  of  the  first  violins  in  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra  with  Mr.  Kneisel,  is  a 
musician  of  the  highest  ability. 

He  was  born  in  Muhlhausen,  Alsace,  in 
1 86 1.  He  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  in- 
struction under  Joachim,  in  Berlin,  after 
which  he  continued  his  studies  in  Paris,  with 
Massart  and  Leonard,  studying  composition 
with  Guiraud.  While  in  Paris  he  was  a 
member  of  Pasdeloup's  celebrated  orchestra, 
and  was  afterward  appointed  first  violin 
and  soloist  in  the  private  orchestra  of  Baron 
Derwies,  at  Nice,  of  which  orchestra  Cesar 
Thomson  was  also  a  member. 

In  1 880  Mr.  Loeflfier  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  New  York,  but 
the  following  year  he  was  engaged  as  sec- 
ond concert-master  and  soloist  in  the  Boston 


28o  Famous  Violinists. 

Symphony  Orchestra,  a  position  which  he 
has  held  ever  since,  and  in  which  he  has 
had  opportunity  to  display  his  exceptional 
talents. 

As  a  violinist  he  plays  with  largeness  of 
style,  boldness  of  contrast,  and  exquisite 
grace.  He  has  a  technique  equalled  by  few, 
and  his  performances  have  been  confined  to 
music  of  the  highest  class.  Mr.  Loeffler  has 
never  made  a  tour  of  the  country  as  a  virtu- 
oso, but  as  soloist  of  the  orchestra  he  has 
been  heard  under  the  best  conditions  in 
most  of  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States, 
and  has  shown  himself  to  be  a  virtuoso  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  word. 

As  a  composer  Mr.  Loeffler  is  distinctly 
original  and  imaginative.  His  works  are 
both  poetical  and  musical,  and  they  display 
high  thought  and  exceptional  knowledge. 
His  compositions  include  a  sextet,  a  quintet, 
and  an  octet,  also  a  suite  for  violin  and 
orchestra,   "  Les   Veillees    de    rUkraine;"a 


Violinists  of  To-day.  281 

concerto  for  violoncello,  which  has  been 
played  by  Mr.  Alwyn  Schroeder ;  a  diverti- 
mento for  violin  and  orchestra,  and  a  sym- 
phonic poem,  "  La  Mort  de  Tintagiles."  Be- 
sides these  large  works  he  has  written  a 
number  of  songs,  of  which  five  are  with 
viola  obligato.  These  works  have,  been  per- 
formed by  the  Kneisel  Quartet  and  the 
Symphony  Orchestra,  the  solo  parts  of  the 
suite  and  divertimento  by  the  composer  him- 
self, and  they  have  gained  for  him  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  gifted  and  scholarly  tone  artist. 

One  of  the  most  promising  young  violin- 
ists of  the  century  was  a  native  of  Brazil, 
Maurice  Dengremont,  who  was  born  in  Rio 
Janeiro,  in  1867.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
French  musician  who  had  settled  in  Brazil, 
and  who  gave  him  his  first  lessons  to  such 
good  effect  that,  when  only  e-'ght  years  of 
age,  he  gave  a  concert,  and  the  Brazilian 
orchestra  was  so  delighted  with  his  playing 
that  its  members  presented  him  with  a  medal, 


282  Famous  Violinists. 

to    which    the    emperor    added    an    imperial 
crown,  as  a  recognition  of  his  talent. 

He  now  became  a  pupil  of  Leonard,  and 
after  three  years'  study  he  appeared  in  many 
concerts,  travelling  throughout  Europe  and 
England,  and  being  received  with  enthusiasm. 
About  1880  he  visited  America,  but  his 
career  ended  shortly  after,  as  he  fell  a  victim 
to  dissipation. 

Dengremont  was  compared  with  Sarasate 
and  Wilhelmj,  but  all  that  could  be  said 
about  him  was  that  he  might  have  developed 
into  a  player  of  their  rank.  As  it  was,  he 
disappointed  his  admirers,  and  died  while 
still  quite  young. 

Of  the  many  violinists  who  have  made 
their  home  in  the  United  States  there  are 
few  whose  accomplishments  better  entitle 
them  to  a  position  among  celebrated  violin- 
ists than   Mr.   Franz  Kneisel. 

Mr.  Kneisel  was  called  to  Boston  to  fill 
the  position  of  concert-master  of  the  Boston 


Violinists  of  To-day.  283 

Symphony  Orchestra  in  1885,  and  has  held 
that  place  for  fourteen  years,  during  which 
time  he  has  done  much  toward  the  cultiva- 
tion of  musical  taste  in  America. 

He  was  born  in  Roumania,  of  German 
parents,  in  1865,  and  gained  his  musical 
education  at  Bucharest  and  at  Vienna,  where 
he  studied  under  Griin  and  Hellmesberger. 
He  then  received  the  appointment  of  concert- 
master  of  the  Hofburg  Theatre  Orchestra, 
after  which  he  went  to  Berlin  to  fill  the  same 
position  in  Bilse's  orchestra,  following  Halir, 
Ysaye,  and  Cesar  Thomson. 

When  he  was  called  to  Boston,  at  the 
instance  of  Mr.  Gericke,  who  was  then  the 
conductor  of  the  Symphony  Orchestra,  he 
was  only  twenty  years  of  age.  He  played, 
on  his  first  appearance  as  soloist,  the  Beetho- 
ven concerto,  and  was  at  once  recognised  as 
a  violinist  of  remarkable  ability. 

Mr.  Kneisel  has  never  toured  the  country 
as  a  virtuoso,  but  has  been  heard  in  many  of 


284  Famous  Violinists. 

the  great  cities  of  America,  as  solo  violinist 
with  the  Symphony  Orchestra,  and  as  first 
violin  of  the  Kneisel  Quartet. 

He  is  a  master  of  technique,  and  sur- 
mounts all  difficulties  with  ease ;  his  tone  is 
pure,  and,  though  not  large,  is  satisfying,  and 
in  his  interpretation  of  the  great  works  he 
never  attempts  to  enforce  his  personality 
upon  the  hearer,  —  in  short,  he  is  a  true 
artist.  As  a  conductor  he  has  marked  ability, 
and  as  a  quartet  player  he  has  made  a  reputa- 
tion which  will  live  in  the  history  of  music 
in  America,  if  not  in  the  whole  world. 

Charles  Gregorowitsch,  who  visited  Amer- 
ica in  1898,  has  risen  in  a  very  short  time  to 
a  place  among  the  leading  violinists  of  the 
world. 

He  was  born  in  1867  at  St.  Petersburg, 
and,  his  talent  making  itself  manifest  in  the 
usual  manner,  he  was  taught  by  his  father 
until  he  was  of  an  age  to  be  sent  to  Moscow, 
where   he   studied   until  his  fifteenth  year, 


Violinists  of  To-day.  285 

under  Beserkirskij  and  Wieniawski.  From 
Moscow  he  was  sent  to  Vienna,  where  he 
became  a  pupil  of  Dont,  and  finally  he  stud- 
ied under  Joachim  in  Berlin,  where  he  gained 
the  Mendelssohn  prize. 

Gregorowitsch  was  the  last  pupil  of  Wie- 
niawski, and  that  master  was  so  impressed 
with  the  great  promise  of  the  boy  that  on 
first  hearing  him  he  offered  to  take  him  as 
a  pupil  gratis.  Few  violinists  have  had  the 
advantage  which  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
Gregorowitsch,  of  receiving  instruction  from 
so  many  great  teachers. 

Gregorowitsch  has  travelled  extensively 
throughout  Europe,  has  been  highly  hon- 
oured in  Russia,  where  the  Czar  granted 
him  exemption  from  military  service,  and 
decorated  by  the  King  of  Portugal.  In  Lon- 
don he  made  his  first  appearance  in  1897, 
at  the  Queen's  Hall  Symphony  concerts. 

M.  Gregorowitsch  is  remarkable  for  a  large 
tone,  and  in  the  smoothness  and  finish  of  his 


286  Famous  Violinists. 

playing  he  has  been  compared  with  Sauret 
and  with  Sarasate. 

A  far  greater  sensation  was  caused  in 
America  by  Willie  Burm  ester  than  by 
Gregorowitsch. 

Burmester  was  born  in  Hamburg  in  1869, 
and  received  his  first  instruction  from  his 
father.  He  owned  his  first  violin  when  he 
was  four  years  of  age,  and  it  came  to  him 
from  a  Christmas  tree.  This  served  to  show 
the  talent  which  he  possessed,  and  the  next 
year  he  received  a  better  violin,  and  began 
to  study  in  earnest. 

When  he  was  eight  years  old  his  father 
took  him  to  Berlin  to  consult  Joachim,  who 
was,  and  is,  regarded  as  the  oracle  for  vio- 
linists. Joachim  gave  some  encouragement 
to  the  parent,  although  he  does  not  seem 
to  have  given  much  to  the  boy,  who  in  con- 
sequence felt  somewhat  bitter.  Four  years 
later  he  was  again  taken  to  the  BerUn  Hoch- 
schule,    to    pass    his    entrance    examination. 


Violinists  of  To-day.  287 

On  this  occasion  he  received  the  recognition 
of  the  jury,  and  was  admitted  to  the  school, 
where  he  began  a  rigorous  course  of  techni- 
cal study.  At  the  end  of  four  years'  study 
under  Joachim  he  was  refused  a  certificate, 
for  some  reason  not  stated,  and  he  went  to 
Helsingfors  in  Finland,  where  he  worked 
according  to  his  own  ideas,  which  were  to 
unlearn  all  he  had  studied,  and  begin  afresh. 
During  this  period  he  worked  with  the  great- 
est perseverance,  practising  nine  or  ten  hours 
a  day,  and  thus  developed  the  wonderful 
technique  which  has  astonished  the  world. 
For  three  years  he  continued  this  work,  sup- 
porting himself  meanwhile  with  a  modest 
appointment  which  he  had  obtained. 

Before  he  left  Berlin  he  had  worn  down 
the  end  of  his  first  finger  to  the  nerve.  This 
troubled  him  to  such  a  degree  that  he  had  sev- 
eral operations  for  the  purpose  of  removing 
it,  but  the  result  was  not  wholly  satisfactory. 

Emerging  from  his  retirement  in  1894,  he 


288  Famojis  Violinists. 

went  to  Berlin  again,  and  gave  a  recital  in 
which  he  met  with  the  most  remarkable  suc- 
cess. It  was  written  at  the  time :  '*  Mr. 
Burmester  comes  from  an  obscure  town, 
unheralded,  and,  in  the  face  of  indifference, 
prejudice,  and  jealousy,  conquered  the  me- 
tropolis off-hand.  For  nearly  half  an  hour 
recall  followed  recall." 

The  following  season  he  created  an  equal 
impression  in  London,  and  shortly  afterward 
in  America. 

His  technique  has  been  described  as  "mar- 
vellous, almost  diabolical."  Difficult  pizzicato 
passages  and  runs  in  thirds  and  tenths  at  top 
speed  are  but  as  child's  play  to  him.  His 
left  hand  pizzicato  is  marvellous,  and  he 
makes  runs  in  single  and  artificial  harmonics 
as  quickly  as  most  violinists  can  play  an 
ordinary  scale.  He  plays  harmonics  with  a 
vibrato  (Paganini  played  a  double  shake  in 
harmonics),  and  his  staccato  volante  is  devel- 
oped to  an  astounding  degree  of  perfection. 


Violinists  of  To-day.  289 

When  Burmester  played  in  London  his 
success  was  at  once  attributed  to  Joachim, 
and  he  resented  it,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  denied  his  certificate  and  had 
narrowly  escaped  musical  suffocation  at  the 
hands  of  that  great  master.  He  had  already 
made  the  same  statement  in  Berlin,  referring 
to  the  fact  of  his  retirement  to  Helsingfors, 
and  the  development  which  he  had  acquired 
there  in  solitude. 

This  announcement  brought  forth  a  deluge 
of  letters  from  "pupils  of  Joachirri,"  and  in  a 
couple  of  weeks  Burmester  wrote  another 
letter  stating  that  he  did  not  know  the  Hoch- 
schule  had  as  many  pupils  as  those  who  had 
claimed  Joachim  as  their  teacher,  and  who 
were  all  unknown.  "If  one  known  pupil  of 
Joachim,"  he  wrote,  "  will  appoint  a  meeting 
to  interview  me  on  the  subject,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  continue  it."  But  the  one  known 
pupil  did  not  come. 

The  complaint  of  Mr.  Burmester,  that  the 


290  Famous  Violinists. 

one  idea  at  the  Hochschule  is  technique, 
is  not  new  by  any  means.  In  every  school 
there  are  students  with  great  talent,  who  find 
it  difficult  to  subject  themselves  to  the  rigid 
discipline  required  by  the  teacher.  It  is  the 
stumbling-block  on  which  many  fall.  It  is, 
nevertheless,  a  fact  that  without  a  solid  tech- 
nique the  highest  perfection  in  playing  cannot 
be  reached,  and  it  is  usually  regarded  as  a 
hopeless  case  when  the  pupil  antagonises  the 
teacher.  Many  pupils  are  apt  to  try  and  run 
ahead  of  their  technical  ability,  and  do  not 
find  out  their  mistake  until  it  is  too  late. 
The  argument  that  Paganini  was  self-taught 
leads  many  a  young  violinist  into  error. 

If  Burmester  is  to  be  judged  by  his  playing 
of  the  Beethoven  concerto  in  Boston,  good 
musicians  will  declare  that  Joachim  was  right 
in  refusing  the  certificate,  for  while  his  tech- 
nique was  brilliant  it  appeared  to  lack  foun- 
dation. Time  may  justify  the  stand  which 
the  young  virtuoso  has  taken  in  opposition 


Violinists  of  To-day.  291 

to  his  teacher,  for  he  is  still  young  and  has 
time  in  which  to  develop.  He  has  un- 
doubted musical  talent  and  great  ability,  but 
while  he  may  be  a  celebrated  violinist  he  can 
hardly  yet  be  considered  a  great  one,  not- 
withstanding the  furore  which  he  caused  in 
Berlin. 

Burmester  plays  with  unassuming  simplic- 
ity and  without  cheap  display.  He  is  sin- 
cere, but  without  authority  or  distinction  of 
style.  His  tone  is  warm  and  pleasing,  but 
not  large,  his  intonation   is  not  always  sure. 

One  of  Burmester' s  earliest  musical  friends 
was  Hans  Von  Biilow,  and  the  friendship 
extended  over  a  period  of  three  and  a  half 
years,  until  Von  Biilow  went  to  Cairo  shortly 
before  his  death. 

Von  Biilow  had  inaugurated  a  series  of 
orchestral  concerts  in  Berlin,  and  as  they 
interfered  with  the  Philharmonic  series  every 
effort  was  made  to  put  a  stop  to  them. 
Musicians  were  forbidden  to  play  for    Von 


292  Famous  Violi7iists. 

Billow,  and  many  obstacles  were  placed  in 
his  way.  Von  Biilow's  temperament  was 
such  as  to  intensify  the  hostility  rather  than 
succumb  to  it.  Burmester  was  then  only 
sixteen  years  old,  but  his  sympathy  was  with 
Von  Billow,  and  he  wrote  a  letter  to  him 
offering  his  services,  and  expressing  his  con- 
tempt for  the  injustice  to  which  he  was  being 
subjected.  Von  Biilow  invited  him  to  attend 
the  rehearsals,  and  printed  the  letter  which 
he  had  received.  Burmester  accepted  the 
invitation,  and,  going  to  the  rehearsal,  found 
vacant  a  seat  amongst  the  first  violins,  which 
he  took. 

The  rehearsal  was  about  to  commence 
when  Von  Biilow  paused  and  asked,  "  Which 
of  you  gentlemen  is  Burmester  .-*  " 

The  young  fellow  approached  Von  Biilow, 
who  had  motioned  him  to  come. 

"  Mr.  Burmester,"  he  said,  "  I  have  no 
desk  in  the  first  row  to  offer  you  or  it  would 
be  yours.     Gentlemen,"  he  added,  turning  to 


Violinists  of  To-day.  293 

the  musicians,  ''  I  wish  to  introduce  to  you 
the  guest  of  honour  of  my  orchestra,  Mr. 
Burmester." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  friendship, 
through  which  the  young  vioHnist  showed 
unswerving  loyalty,  and  it  is  now  one  of 
his  greatest  desires  to  reach  a  point  of  inde- 
pendence which  will  enable  him  to  build  a 
monument  to  Von  Billow's  memory. 

In  1893  a  sensation  was  created  in 
America  by  the  visit  of  Henri  Marteau,  a 
young  French  violinist  whose  excellent  play- 
ing and  charming  personality  delighted  all 
who  heard  him.  Marteau  was  called  "the 
Paderewski  of  the  Catgut,"  and  he  met 
with  a  most  cordial  reception  among  musi- 
cians. 

Marteau  was  born  at  Reims  in  1 874.  His 
father  was  an  amateur  violinist  and  president 
of  the  Philharmonic  Society  of  Reims.  His 
mother  was  an  accomplished  pianist,  a  pupil 
of  Madame  Schumann.       He  therefore  had 


294  Famous  Violinists. 

every  advantage  in  his  early  youth  for  the 
development  of  musical  taste.  When  he 
was  about  five  years  of  age  Sivori  paid  a  visit 
to  the  family,  and  was  so  charmed  with  the 
little  fellow  that  he  gave  him  a  violin,  and 
persuaded  his  parents  to  let  him  become  a 
professional  violinist.  Marteau  now  began 
to  take  lessons  of  Bunzl,  a  pupil  of  Molique, 
but  three  years  later  he  went  to  Paris,  and 
was  placed  under  Leonard.  In  1884,  when 
ten  years  of  age,  he  played  in  public  before 
an  audience  of  2,500  people,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  selected  by  Gounod  to 
play  the  obligato  of  a  piece  composed  for 
the  Joan  of  Arc  Centenary  celebration  at 
Reims,  which  piece  was  dedicated  to  him. 

In  1892  Marteau  carried  off  the  first  prize 
for  violin  playing  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire, 
and  Massenet,  the  celebrated  French  com- 
poser, wrote  a  concerto  for  him. 

When  Marteau  played  in  Boston  at  the 
Symphony  concerts  he  received  twelve  re- 


Violinists  of  To-day.  295 

calls,  and  immediately  became  the  idol  of  the 
hour.  The  concerto  selected  was  that  in  G 
minor  by  Bruch,  and  it  was  played  without-  a 
rehearsal,  a  fact  which  reflects  great  credit 
on  the  orchestra,  which  was  at  that  time  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Arthur  Nikisch. 

In  the  following  year  Marteau  again  vis- 
ited America  and  brought  with  him  a  con- 
certo composed  for  him  by  Dubois.  This 
was  played  for  the  first  time  by  the  Colonne 
orchestra,  with  Marteau  as  soloist,  at  Paris, 
on  November  28,  1894,  and  again  on  the 
following  Sunday.  It  was  next  given  at 
Marseilles  on  December  12th,  and  the  next 
performances  were  at  Pittsburg,  Louisville, 
and  Nashville  during  the  second  American 
tour. 

Marteau's  tone  is  large,  brilliant,  and  pene- 
trating. His  technique  is  sure,  and  he  plays 
with  contagious  warmth  of  sentiment  and 
great  artistic  charm. 

The    violin    which    he    used    during    his 


296  Famous  Violinists. 

American  tours  was  a  Maggini,  which  once 
belonged  to  Maria  Theresa  of  Austria.  She 
gave  it  to  a  Belgian  musician  who  had 
played  chamber  music  with  her  in  Vienna. 
He  took  it  to  Belgium,  where  at  his  death  it 
became  the  property  of  Leonard,  who,  at  his 
death,  gave  it  to  Marteau. 

Alexander  Petschnikoff,  the  son  of  a  Rus- 
sian soldier,  is  the  latest  violinist  who  has 
created  a  furore  in  Europe.  When  he  was 
quite  young  his  parents  moved  to  Moscow, 
near  which  city  he  was  born,  and  one  day  a 
musician  of  the  Royal  Opera  House  hap- 
pened to  hear  the  boy,  who  had  already 
endeavoured  to  master  the  difficulties  of  the 
instrument,  and  he  used  his  influence  to  get 
the  lad  into  the  conservatory.  Petschnikoff 
now  became  a  pupil  of  Hrimaly,  and  devoted 
himself  to  hard  work,  earning  some  money 
by  teaching  even  at  the  age  of  ten. 

In  due  course  he  won  the  first  prize  and 
the  gold  medal  at  the  conservatory,  and  was 


Violinists  of  To-day.  297 

then  offered  an  opportunity  to  study  in  Paris, 
which  he  declined.  For  a  time  he  earned 
his  living  by  playing  in  a  theatre  orchestra, 
but  fortune  smiled  upon  him,  and  he  became 
an  object  of  interest  to  the  Princess  Ouro- 
soff,  who  heard  him  play  at  a  concert.  Her 
influence  was  exerted  in  his  behalf,  and  he 
was  soon  noticed  and  courted  by  the  nobility. 
The  princess  also  made  him  a  present  of  a 
magnificent  violin,  which  formerly  belonged 
to  Ferdinand  Laub,  and  is  said  to  be  the 
most  costly  instrument  in  existence. 

When  he  made  his  debut  in  Berlin,  in 
1895,  his  success  was  unprecedented,  inas- 
much as  it  covered  four  points,  —  the  artis- 
tic, popular,  social,  and  financial.  He  has 
created  a  furore  wherever  he  has  appeared, 
and  has  been  recalled  as  many  as  sixteen 
times.  So  great  has  been  his  success  that 
he  is  said  to  have  received  the  highest  hon- 
orarium for  a  single  concert  ever  obtained  by 
a  violinist  in  Europe. 


298  Famous  Violinists. 

He  is  described  as  a  man  of  commonplace 
appearance,  with  dull,  expressionless  eyes, 
sluggish  movements,  and  slow,  affected  man- 
ner of  speech.  His  technique  is  not  aston- 
ishing, but  he  has  a  full,  penetrating,  sympa- 
thetic tone.  There  is  no  charlatanism  or 
trickery  in  his  playing,  nor  any  virtuoso 
effects,  but  the  charm  of  it  rests  in  his  glow- 
ing temperament,  ideal  conception,  and  won- 
derful power  of  expression.  He  has  been 
regarded  as  phenomenal,  because  he  can 
move  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  as  few  other 
violinists  are  able  to  do. 

Petschnikoff  has  been  given  an  introduc- 
tion to  America,  through  Mr.  Emil  Paur,  by 
Theodor  Leschetizky,  couched  in  the  most 
glowing  terms,  and  is  called  by  him  "an 
artist  of  the  very  first  rank  and  of  inconceiv- 
able versatility." 

One  might  prolong  the  list  of  violinists  to 
a  tremendous  extent,  and  yet  fail  to  mention 
all  those  of  great  merit.     In  England,  John 


Violinists  of  To-day.  299 

Dunn  appears  to  be  acquiring  a  great  repu- 
tation. On  the  Continent,  such  names  as 
Hubay,  Petri,  Rose  are  well  known.  In 
America,  we  have  Leopold  Lichtenberg,  a 
good  musician  of  admirable  qualifications. 
Bernhard  Listemann,  now  of  Chicago,  has 
done  much  toward  forming  musical  taste  in 
America,  and  was  concert-master  of  the  Bos- 
ton Symphony  Orchestra  during  the  first  few 
years  of  its  existence.  But  space  does  not 
permit  of  a  mention  of  more  than  has  been 
attempted,  and  a  few  pages  must  be  given  to 
lady  violinists  and  to  a  few  words  about 
celebrated  quartets. 


CHAPTER   X. 

WOMEN    AS    VIOLINISTS. 

During  the  past  forty  or  fifty  years  the 
violin  has  become  a  fashionable  instrument 
for  ladies,  and  has  become  correspondingly 
popular  as  a  profession  for  those  who  are 
obliged  to  earn  a  living. 

Formerly,  for  many  years,  it  seems  to  have 
been  considered  improper,  or  ungraceful,  or 
unladylike,  —  the  reasons  are  nowhere  satis- 
factorily given,  but  the  fact  remains  that 
until  recently  few  women  played  the  violin. 

From  the  year  1610  until  18 10  the  list 
of  those  who  played  in  public  is  extremely 
short,  numbering  only  about  twenty,  and  of 
these  several  were  gambists. 

That  women  did,  once  upon  a  time,  play 
300 


Women  as  Violinists.  30  ^ 

on  the  violin,  or  the  corresponding  string  and 
bow  instruments  which  were  its  ancestors, 
there  is  evidence. 

On  the  painted  roof  of  Peterborough  Cathe- 
dral, in  England,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
built  in  the  year  1194  a.  d.,  there  is  a  pic- 
ture of  a  woman  seated,  and  holding  in  her 
lap  a  sort  of  viol,  with  four  strings  and  four 
sound-holes.  This  seems  to  indicate  that  in 
very  early  days  ladies  sometimes  played  on 
stringed  instruments,  if  only  for  their  own 
amusement. 

Among  the  accounts  of  King  Henry  VIL, 
dated  November  2,  i495.  is  the  following 
item,  "For  a  womane  that  singeth  with  a 
fiddle,  2  shillings." 

Anne  of  Cleves  after  her  divorce  com- 
forted herself  by  playing  on  a  viol  with  six 
strings.  Queen  Elizabeth,  also,  amused  her- 
self not  only  with  the  lute,  the  virginals,  and 
her  voice,  but  also  with  the  violin. 

These,  however,   were   amateurs,  and  the 


302  Famous  Violinists. 

earliest  professional  violinist  known  was  Mrs. 
Sarah  Ottey,  who  was  born  about  1695,  and 
who  about  1721-22  performed  frequently  at 
concerts,  giving  solos  on  the  harpsichord,  vio- 
lin, and  bass  viol.  Previous  to  her  there  was 
one  Signora  Leonora  Baroni,  born  at  Mantua 
about  16 10,  but  she  played  the  theorbo  and 
the  viol  di  gamba. 

The  next  is  "La  Diamantina,"  born  about 
1 71 5,  who  is  referred  to  by  the  poet  Gray  in 
1740,  when  he  was  at  Rome,  as  "a  famous 
virtuosa,  played  on  the  violin  divinely,  and 
sung  angelically." 

Anne  Nicholl,  born  in  England  about  1728, 
played  the  violin  before  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land at  Huntley  in  1746,  and  her  granddaugh- 
ter, Mary  Anne  Paton,  also,  who  was  better 
known  as  a  singer  and  who  became  Lady 
Lenox,  and  afterwards  Mrs.  Wood,  was  a 
violinist. 

The  celebrated  Madame  Gertrude  Eliza- 
beth  Mara,  one  of  the  greatest   singers   of 


Women  as  Violinists.  303 

her  time,  was  a  violinist  when  young.  Her 
father  took  her  to  England,  hoping  by  means 
of  her  playing  to  get  sufficient  money  to  give 
her  a  thorough  musical  education.  She  was 
then  a  mere  child,  and  as  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood her  voice  developed  and  she  became 
one  of  the  celebrities  in  the  history  of  song. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  training  in  inter- 
vals which  her  practice  on  the  violin  gave 
her  proved  invaluable  as  an  aid  to  her  in 
singing.  In  later  days  several  of  the  most 
celebrated  singers  have  been  also  good  vio- 
linists, as,  for  instance,  Christine  Nilsson  and 
Marcella  Sembrich. 

Maddalena  Lombardi  Sirmen,  born  about 
1735,  had  an  almost  European  reputation 
toward  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
She  visited  France  and  England  about  1 760- 
61,  and  was  so  good  a  player  that  she  was 
looked  upon  almost  as  a  rival  of  Nardini. 
She  will  always  be  celebrated  in  history 
because  of  the  letter  which  was  written  to 


.  ^V^- 
^  ^'^ 


v>^vN^;\^tts^ 


304  Famous  Violinists. 

her  by  Tartini,  and  which  is  not  only  one  of 
the  rarities  of  musical  literature,  but  consti- 
tutes also  a  valuable  treatise  on  the  use  of 
the  violin. 

This  letter,  which  has  been  printed  in 
almost  every  book  on  the  violin,  would  take 
up  rather  more  space  than  can  be  afforded  in 
this  sketch.  It  is  admirably  clear  and  is 
divided  into  three  parts,  the  first  giving 
advice  on  bowing,  "  pressing  the  bow  lightly, 
but  steadily,  upon  the  strings  in  such  a 
manner  as  that  it  shall  seem  to  breathe 
the  first  tone  it  gives,  which  must  proceed 
from  the  friction  of  the  string,  and  not  from 
percussion,  as  by  a  blow  given  with  a  hammer 
upon  it,  —  if  the  tone  is  begun  with  delicacy, 
there  is  little  danger  of  rendering  it  after- 
wards either  coarse  or  harsh."  The  second 
section  of  the  letter  is  devoted  to  the  finger- 
board, or  the  "  carriage  of  the  left  hand,"  and 
the  last  part  to  the  "  shake." 

Maddalena    Sirmen    received   her  instruc- 


Women  as  Violinists.  305 

tion  first  at  the  conservatory  of  Mendicant! 
at  Venice,  after  which  she  took  lessons  from 
Tartini.  She  also  composed  a  considerable 
quantity  of  violin  music,  much  of  which  was 
published  at  Amsterdam.  About  1782  she, 
emulating  the  example  of  Madame  Mara, 
appeared  as  a  singer  at  Dresden,  but  with 
comparatively  small  success. 

Regina  Sacchi,  who  married  a  noted  Ger- 
man violoncellist  named  Schlick,  was  cele- 
brated for  her  performances  on  the  violin. 
She  was  born  at  Mantua  in  1764,  and  edu- 
cated at  the  Conservatorio  della  Pieta  at 
Venice.  This  lady  was  highly  esteemed  by 
Mozart,  who  said  of  her,  ''  No  human  being 
can  play  with  more  feeling." 

When  Mozart  was  in  Vienna,  about  1786, 
Madame  Schlick  was  also  there,  and  solicited 
him  to  write  something  for  the  piano  and 
violin,  which  they  should  play  together  at 
a  concert.  Mozart  willingly  promised  to  do 
so,  and  accordingly  composed  and  arranged, 


3o6  Famous  Violmists. 

in  his  "tnind,  his  beautiful  sonata  in  B-fiat 
minor,  for  piano  and  violin.  The  time  for 
the  concert  drew  near,  but  not  a  note  was 
put  upon  paper,  and  Madame  Schlick's  anx- 
iety became  painful.  Eventually,  after  much 
entreaty,  she  received  the  manuscript  of  the 
violin  part  the  evening  before  the  concert, 
and  set  herself  to  work  to  study  it,  taking 
scarcely  any  rest  that  night. 

The  sonata  was  played  before  an  audience 
consisting  of  the  rank  and  fashion  of  Vienna. 
The  execution  of  the  two  artists  was  perfect 
and  the  applause  was  enthusiastic.  It  hap- 
pened, however,  that  the  Emperor  Joseph 
II.,  who  was  seated  in  a  box  just  above  the 
performers,  in  using  his  opera-glass  to  look 
at  Mozart,  noticed  that  there  was  nothing 
on  his  desk  but  a  sheet  of  blank  paper,  and, 
afterward  calling  the  composer  to  him,  said : 
"  So,  Mozart,  you  have  once  again  trusted 
to  chance,"  to  which  Mozart,  of  course,  gra- 
ciously acquiesced,  though  the  emperor  did 


Women  as  Violmists.  307 

not  state  whether  he  considered  Mozart's 
knowledge  of  his  new  composition,  or  Ma- 
dame Schlick's  ability  to  play  with  him  un- 
rehearsed, constituted  the  ''  chance." 

The  next  virtuosa  was  a  Frenchwoman, 
Louise  Gautherot,  who  was  born  about  1760, 
and  who  played  in  London  and  made  a  great 
impression  about  1780  to  1790,  and  about 
the  same  time  Signora  Vittoria  dall'  Occa 
played  at  the  theatre  in  Milan.  Signora 
Paravicini,  born  about  1769,  and  Luigia 
Gerbini,  about  1770,  were  pupils  of  Viotti, 
and  earned  fame.  The  former  made  a  sen- 
sation in  1799  by  her  performance  of  some 
violin  concertos  at  the  Italian  Theatre  at 
Lisbon,  where  she  played  between  the  acts. 

Signora  Paravicini  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Empress  Josephine,  who  became 
her  patroness  and  engaged  her  to  teach  her 
son,  Eugene  Beauharnais,  and  took  her  to 
Paris.  After  a  time,  however,  the  Empress 
neglected  her,  and  she  suffered  from  poverty. 


3o8  Famous  Violinists, 

Driven  to  the  last  resource,  and  having  even 
pawned  her  clothes,  she  applied  for  aid  to 
the  Italians  resident  in  Paris,  and  they  en- 
abled her  to  return  to  Milan,  where  her 
ability  soon  gained  her  both  competence  and 
credit.  She  also  played  at  Vienna  in  1827, 
and  at  Bologna  in  1832,  where  she  was  much 
admired. 

Catarina  Calcagno,  who  has  already  been 
mentioned  as  a  pupil  of  Paganini,  was  a 
native  of  Genoa,  born  about  1797,  and  had 
a  short  but  brilliant  career.  She  disappeared 
from  before  the  public  in  18 16. 

Madame  Krahmer  and  Miles.  Eleanora 
Neumann,  and  M.  Schulz  all  delighted  the 
public  in  Vienna  and  Prague.  Miss  Neu- 
mann came  from  Moscow,  and  astonished 
the  public  when  she  had  scarcely  reached 
her  tenth  year.  Other  names  are  Madame 
Filipowicz,  Madame  Pollini,  Mile.  Zerchoff, 
Eliza  Wallace,  and  Rosina  Collins,  who  all 
played  publicly  and  were  well  known. 


Women  as  Violinists.  309 

In   1827  Teresa  Milanollo  was  born,  and 
in    1832    her    sister    Marie,    and  these   two 
young  ladies    played    so  well,  and  were    in 
such  striking  contrast  to  one  another,  that 
they    proved    very    successful     as    concert 
players.     They  were  natives  of    Savigliano, 
in  Piedmont,  where  their  father  was  a  manu- 
facturer of  silk-spinning  machinery.     Teresa, 
the  elder,  was  taught  by  Ferrero,  Caldera, 
and  Morra,  but  in   1836  she  went  to  Paris 
and  studied   under  Lafont,    and    afterwards 
under    Habeneck,  going  still  later  to  Brus- 
sels, where  she  took  lessons  of  De  Beriot, 
and  received  the  finishing  touch  to   her  ar- 
tistic education,  —  faultless  intonation.     Her 
career  as  a  concert  player  began  when  she 
was  about  nine  years  of  age.     When  Marie 
was  old  enough  to   handle  a  violin   Teresa 
began    to    teach  her,   and    in    fact    was  the 
only  teacher  Marie  ever  had. 

The  two  sisters,  who  were  called,  on  ac- 
count of  their  most  striking  characteristics, 


3IO  Famous  Violinists. 

Mile.  Staccato  and  Mile.  Adagio,  travelled 
together  through  France,  Holland,  Belgium, 
Germany,  and  England,  and  were  everywhere 
received  with  the  greatest  interest.  They 
played  before  Louis  Philippe  at  Neuilly,  and 
appeared  with  Liszt  before  the  King  of  Prus- 
sia. They  also  created  a  furore  at  Vienna 
and  Berlin. 

Marie,  the  younger,  who  was  of  a  happy 
and  cheerful  disposition,  was  not  strong, 
and  in  1848  she  died  in  Paris.  Teresa, 
the  elder,  after  a  long  retirement,  re- 
sumed her  travels,  and,  having  matured 
and  improved,  she  played  better  and  excited 
more  interest  than  before.  In  1857  she 
married  a  French  officer,  Captain  Theodore 
Parmentier,  who  had  seen  service  in  the 
Crimean  War,  and  she  abandoned  the  concert 
stage. 

From  1857  until  1878  she  followed  the 
fortunes  of  her  husband,  who  became  a  gen- 
eral  and  a  "Grand   Officier   de   la    Legion 


WomeJi  as  Violinists.  3 1 1 

d'Honneiir,"  and  her  public  appearances  were 
limited  to  such  places  as  the  vicissitudes  of 
a  military  life  took  her  to.  Since  1878 
Madame  Parmentier  has  lived  quietly  in 
Paris,  where  she  is  still  to  be  met  by  a  few 
fortunate  persons  in  select  musical  and  social 
circles. 

During  the  lifetime  of  Marie,  the  sisters 
had  already  put  themselves  into  direct  per- 
sonal relations  with  the  poor  of  Lyons,  but 
after  Teresa  had  roused  herself  from  her 
mourning  for  her  sister  she  established  a 
system  of  ''  Concerts  aux  Pauvres,"  which 
she  carried  out  in  nearly  all  the  chief  cities 
of  France,  and  part  of  the  receipts  of  these 
concerts  was  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor. 
Her  plan  was  to  follow  up  the  first  concert 
with  a  second,  at  which  the  audience  con- 
sisted of  poor  school  -  children  and  their 
parents,  to  whom  she  played  in  her  most 
fascinating  manner,  and,  at  the  conclusion 
of  her  performance,  money,  food,  and  cloth- 


312  Famous  Violinists. 

ing,  purchased  with  the  receipts  of  the  pre- 
vious concerts,  were  distributed. 

From  1830  there  has  been  a  constantly 
increasing  number  of  ladies  who  have  ap- 
peared as  concert  violinists,  but  few  have 
continued  long  before  the  public,  or  have 
reached  such  a  point  of  excellence  as 
to  be  numbered  amongst  the  great  per- 
formers. 

Mile.  Emilia  Arditi,  Fraulein  Hortensia 
Zirges,  Miss  Hildegard  Werner,  Miss  Bertha 
Brousil,  and  Madame  Rosetta  Piercy-Feeny 
were  all  born  during  the  decade  1830  to 
1 840,  and  were  well  known,  but  in  1 840  and 
1842  two  violinists  were  born  who  were  des- 
tined to  hold  the  stage  for  many  years  and 
to  exert  a  great  influence  in  their  profession. 
Wilma  Neruda,  now  known  as  Lady  Halle, 
and  Camilla  Urso  are  the  two  ladies  in  ques- 
tion, the  former  exerting  her  influence  chiefly 
in  England  and  on  the  Continent,  and  the 
latter  in  America. 


IVomcji  as  Violinists.  3  1 3 

Miss  Werner  has  played  an  important  part 
in  advancing  the  art  amongst  women,  having 
for  many  years  conducted  a  school  of  music 
at  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  in  England.  She  was 
also  the  first  woman  ever  to  address  the 
Literary  and  Philosophical  Society,  when  in 
1880  she  delivered  an  address  on  the  history 
of  the  violin.  There  is  little  doubt,  how- 
ever, that  the  success  of  Teresa  Milanollo 
gave  the  first  great  impulse  toward  the  study 
of  the  violin  by  women. 

Lady  Halle  was  born  at  Briinn,  March  21, 
1840.  Her  father  was  Josef  Neruda,  a  musi- 
cian of  good  ability,  and  he  gave  her  the  first 
instruction  on  the  violin,  and  then  placed  her 
under  Leopold  Jansa,  in  Vienna.  Wilhelmina 
Maria  Franziska  Neruda  made  her  first  ap- 
pearance in  public  in  1846,  at  which  time  she 
was  not  quite  seven  years  old.  On  this  occa- 
sion her  sister  Amalie,  who  was  a  pianist, 
accompanied  her,  and  shortly  afterwards  her 
father  took  her,  with  her  sister  Amalie  and 


314  Famous  Violinists. 

one  of  her  brothers,  on  an  extended  tour. 
The  family  consisted  of  two  sons  —  a  pianist 
and  a  'cellist — and  two  daughters  —  a  violin- 
ist and  a  pianist. 

In  1849  they  reached  London,  where  the 
young  violinist  played  a  concerto  by  De 
Beriot,  at  the  seventh  Philharmonic  concert 
of  that  season.  By  the  critics  at  that  time 
she  was  said  to  be  wonderful  in  bravura 
music,  in  musical  intelligence,  and  in  her 
remarkable  accuracy. 

As  time  went  on,  and  her  playing  matured, 
she  became  known  throughout  Europe.  In 
1864  she  married  Ludwig  Norman,  conductor 
of  the  opera  at  Stockholm,  and  for  a  time  she 
remained  in  that  city  and  became  a  teacher 
at  the  Royal  Music  School. 

Before  long  she  was  again  busy  with  con- 
cert playing,  and  in  1869  she  again  appeared 
in  England,  where  she  became  a  great  favour- 
ite, and  has  appeared  there  regularly  almost, 
if  not  quite,  every  season  since.      Hans  von 


Womeii  as  Violinists.  3 1  5 

Billow  spoke  of  her  as  Joachim's  rival,  and 
called  her  ''the  violin  fairy." 

Joachim  has  always  been  a  great  favourite 
in  England,  but  Madame  Norman-Neruda,  or 
Lady  Halle,  as  she  became  later,  has  fully 
shared  his  popularity.  What  Joachim  is  to 
the  sterner  sex,  just  the  same  is  Lady  Halle 
to  the  gentler. 

Joachim  was  indeed  one  of  the  first  to 
recognise  the  fact  that  he  had  in  Mile. 
Neruda  a  rival,  for  in  the  days  when  she 
was  earning  her  reputation  he  heard  her  at 
some  place  on  the  Continent,  and  remarked 
to  Charles  Halle,  who  aftenvards  became  her 
husband,  "  I  recommend  this  artist  to  your 
careful  consideration.  IMark  this,  when 
people  have  given  her  a  fair  hearing,  they 
will  think  more  of  her  and  less  of  me." 

Ludwig  Norman  died  in  1885,  and  three 
years  later  Madame  Norman-Neruda  married 
the  pianist,  Charles  Halle,  who  had  long  been 
identified  vidth  all  that  was  best  musically  in 


3i6  Famous  Violinists. 

England,  and  who  was  knighted  in  recognition 
of  his  services  to  the  cause  of  art. 

Sir  Charles  Halle  established  a  series  of 
orchestral  concerts  at  Manchester  in  1857, 
and  by  means  of  these  concerts  brought 
before  the  English  pubhc  the  works  of  many 
composers  who  would  have  remained  un- 
known perhaps  for  years  but  for  his  efforts. 
In  this  work  he  was  ably  supported  by  this 
talented  violinist,  afterwards  his  wife,  and 
with  her  he  made  many  tours  all  over  the 
British  Isles. 

In  1890  Sir  Charles  and  Lady  Halle  made 
a  tour  in  Australia,  which  was  highly  suc- 
cessful. Five  years  later  they  went  to  South 
Africa,  where  they  met  with  a  flattering 
reception.  In  his  memoirs,  Sir  Charles 
Halle  tells  of  a  curious  compliment  which 
they  received  at  Pietermaritzburg.  The 
mayor  invited  them  to  play  at  a  municipal 
concert  to  be  given  one  Sunday  afternoon. 
The  concert  began,  and  after  an  organ  solo 


Women  as  Violinists.  3^7 

and  a  song  had  been  given  by  other  musi- 
cians, they  played  the  Kreutzer  sonata.  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  sonata,  a  member  of 
the  corporation  came  forward,  and  said  that 
after  the  impression  just  received  he  thought 
it  would  be  best  to  omit  the  remainder  of  the 
programme,  upon  which  the  audience  cheered 
and  dispersed. 

In  1895,  shortly  after  their  return  from 
the  South  African  tour,  Sir  Charles  Halle 
died,  and  Lady  Halle  went  into  retirement. 
At  this  time  her  numerous  admirers  in  Eng- 
land presented  her  with  a  valuable  testimonial 
of  their  appreciation. 

Throughout  her  career  she  has  fulfilled 
the  prophecies  made  of  her  in  her  youth,  for 
her  talent  and  musicianship  developed  as  she 
grew  up,  and  her  genius  did  not  burn  itself 
out  as  that  of  many  infant  prodigies  has 
done.  She  has  never  endeavoured  to  secure 
public  applause  at  the  expense  of  her  real 
artistic  nature.     Her  performances  are  and 


3i8  Famous  Violinists. 

always  have  been  synonymous  with  all  that 
is  good  in  musical  art,  and  nothing  but 
that  which  is  of  the  best  has  ever  been 
allowed  to  appear  upon  her  programmes. 

She  is  celebrated  no  less  as  a  quartet 
player  than  as  a  soloist,  and  was  for  many 
years  first  vioHn  of  the  Philharmonic  Quartet 
in  London. 

In  1898,  Lady  Halle  had  the  misfortune 
to  lose  her  son,  Mr.  Norman  Neruda,  who, 
while  scaling  a  difficult  place  in  the  Alps, 
slipped  and  was  killed. 

In  the  following  year  she  emerged  from 
her  retirement  and  visited  the  United  States, 
where  her  playing  was  highly  appreciated  by 
unbiassed  critics.  There  was  a  feeling,  how- 
ever, that  she  might  have  made  the  journey 
many  years  before,  and  allowed  the  American 
public  to  hear  her  in  her  prime,  when  she 
would  have  received  not  only  a  very  warm 
welcome,  but  would  have  been  judged  rather 
by  her  merits  than  by  her  history,  and  she 


Women  as  Violinists.  3 1 9 

would  not  have  challenged   comparison  with 
the  violinists  of  the  rising  generation. 

Camilla  Urso  has  been  for  many  years  one 
of  the  best  known  violinists  in  the  United 
States.  She  was  born  at  Nantes,  in  France, 
in  1842,  of  Italian  parents.  Her  father  was 
Salvator  Urso,  a  good  musician,  and  son  of  a 
good  musician,  so  that  the  young  violinist 
inherited  some  of  her  talent.  In  1852  the 
family  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  settled  in 
the  United  States,  and  almost  immediately 
the  little  girl  began  to  appear  at  concerts. 
Camilla  Urso  began  to  study  the  violin  at 
the  age  of  six  years,  and  her  choice  of  that 
instrument  was  determined  by  her  hearing 
the  violin  and  being  fascinated  by  it  during 
a  celebration  of  the  Mass  of  St.  Cecilia.  She 
was  taken  to  Paris  for  instruction,  for  which 
purpose  her  father  abandoned  his  position  at 
Nantes.  She  entered  the  Conservatoire  and 
became  a  pupil  of  Massart. 

She  made  a  tour  through  Germany,  during 


320  Famous  Violinists. 

which  she  met  with  immense  success,  and 
then  returned  to  Paris  to  continue  her 
studies. 

She  was  fresh  from  Massart's  instruction 
when,  in  October,  1852,  she  made  her  first 
appearance  in  Boston,  where  her  playing  and 
her  style  called  forth  eulogies  from  the  critics 
of  those  days.  John  S.  Dwight  wrote  to  the 
effect  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  touching 
experiences  of  his  life  to  see  and  hear  the 
charming  little  maiden,  so  natural  and  child- 
like, so  full  of  sentiment  and  thought,  so  self- 
possessed  and  graceful.  Her  tone  was  pure, 
and  her  intonation  faultless,  and  she  played 
with  a  "■  fine  and  caressing  delicacy,"  and 
gave  out  strong  passages  in  chords  with 
thrilling  grandeur. 

For  three  years  she  continued  to  travel 
and  delight  American  audiences,  and  then 
for  a  period  of  about  five  years  she  retired 
into  private  life,  and  did  not  resume  her  pro- 
fessional career  until   1862,  from  which  time 


Wofneu  as  Violmists.  321 

she  frequently  made  concert  tours  in  America 
until  she  returned  to  Paris.  It  was  about 
the  period  of  these  tours  that  her  influence 
upon  young  women  began  to  be  felt,  for  she 
was  at  an  age  when  womanly  grace  becomes 
evident,  and  her  manners  and  character  were 
as  fascinating  as  her  playing. 

In  Paris  she  so  pleased  M.  Pasdeloup  that 
he  begged  her  not  to  allow  herself  to  be 
heard  in  public  until  she  had  played  at  his 
concerts.  "  You  may  count  upon  a  splendid 
triumph,"  he  said.  "  It  is  /  who  tell  you  so. 
Your  star  is  in  the  ascendant,  and  soon  it 
will  shine  at  the  zenith  of  the  artistic 
firmament." 

The  result  justified  the  prophecy,  and 
Camilla  Urso  was  the  recipient  of  great 
honours  in  Paris.  She  was  presented  by 
the  public  with  a  pair  of  valuable  diamond 
earrings,  and  was  treated  almost  like  a  prima 
donna. 

In    March,    1867,   Mile.    Urso   received  a 


322  Famous  Violinists. 

testimonial  from  the  musical  profession  in 
Boston,  where  a  few  years  later  she  had 
a  curious  experience.  She  was  playing  a 
Mozart  concerto,  at  a  concert,  when  an 
alarm  of  fire  was  given,  and  caused  a  good 
deal  of  excitement.  Many  of  the  audience 
left  their  seats  and  made  for  the  door,  but 
the  violinist  stood  unm.oved  until  the  alarm 
was  subdued  and  the  audience  returned  to 
their  seats,  when  she  played  the  interrupted 
movement  through  from  the  beginning. 

In  1879  she  made  a  tour  to  Australia,  and 
again  in  1894. 

In  1895  she  was  in  South  Africa,  and 
achieved  great  triumphs  in  Cape  Town, 
besides  giving  concerts  at  such  out-of-the- 
way  places  as  Bloemfontein.  She  has  prob- 
ably travelled  farther  than  any  other  violin 
virtuosa. 

For  the  past  few  years  she  has  lived  in 
New  York,  and  has  practically  retired  from 
the  concert  stage. 


Women  as  Violinists.  323 

Teresina  Tua,  who  was  well  known  in  the 
United  States  about  1887,  ^^as  born  at  Turin 
in  1867.  As  in  the  case  of  Wilhelmina 
Neruda  and  of  Camilla  Urso,  her  father  was 
a  musician,  and  she  received  her  early 
musical  instruction  from  him.  Her  first 
appearance  in  public  was  made  at  the  age 
of  seven,  and  up  to  that  time  she  had  re- 
ceived no  instruction,  except  that  given  her 
by  her  father.  During  her  first  tour  she 
played  at  Nice,  where  a  wealthy  Russian 
lady,  Madame  Rosen,  became  interested  in 
her,  and  provided  the  means  to  go  to  Paris, 
where  she  was  placed  under  Massart. 

In  1880  Signorina  Tua  won  the  first  prize 
for  violin  playing  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire, 
and  the  following  year  made  a  concert  tour 
which  extended  through  France  and  Spain 
to  Italy.  In  1882  she  appeared  in  Vienna, 
and  in  1883  in  London,  where  she  played 
at  the  Crystal  Palace.  Wherever  she  went 
people  of  wealth  and  distinction  showed  the 


324  Famous  Violinists. 

greatest  interest  in  her,  and  when  she  came 
to  America  in  1887  she  appeared  laden  with 
jewelry  given  her  by  royalty.  Her  list  of 
jewels  was  given  in  the  journals  of  that  day, 
—  *'  a  miniature  violin  and  bow  ablaze  with 
diamonds,  given  by  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Wales ;  a  double  star  with  a  solitaire  pearl 
in  the  centre,  and  each  point  tipped  with 
pearls,  from  Queen  Margherita  of  Italy." 
Besides  these,  there  were  diamonds  from 
the  Queen  of  Spain  and  from  the  Empress 
of  Russia  and  sundry  grand  duchesses.  No 
lady  violinist  ever  appeared  before  an  Amer- 
ican audience  more  gorgeously  arrayed. 
"  Fastened  all  over  the  bodice  of  her  soft 
white  woollen  gown  she  wore  these  spark- 
ling jewels,  and  in  her  hair  were  two  or 
three  diamond  stars,"  said  the  account  in 
Dwight's  Journal  of  Mnsic.  Yet  with  all 
this  the  criticisms  of  her  playing  were  some- 
what lukewarm.  The  expectation  of  the 
people  had  been  wrought  up  to  an  unreas- 


Wome7i  as  Violinists.  3^5 

enable  pitch,  and  Signorina  Tua,  while  she 
was  acknowledged  to  be  an  excellent  and 
charming  violinist,  was  not  considered  great. 
After  a  time,  however,  as  she  became  better 
known,  she  grew  in  popular  estimation,  and 
before  she  left  America  she  had  hosts  of 
admirers. 

On  returning  to  Europe  she  made  another 
tour,  but  shortly  afterwards  she  married 
Count  Franchi  Verney  della  Valetta,  a  dis- 
tinguished Italian  critic,  and  retired  into  pri- 
vate life,  though  from  time  to  time  she  was 
heard  in  concerts  in  Italy. 

In  1897  she  was  again  on  the  concert 
stage,  and  played  at  St.  James's  Hall,  Lon- 
don, after  an  absence  of  eight  years,  and  it 
was  considered  that  her  playing  had  gained 
in  breadth,  while  her  technique  was  as 
perfect  as  ever. 

Of  the  three  hundred  or  more  pupils  of 
Joachim,  there  have  been  several  ladies  who 
have  attained  celebrity,  of  whom  Miss  Emily 


326  Famojis  Violinists. 

Shinner  (now  Mrs.  A.  F.  Liddell)  has  been 
for  some  years  the  most  j^rominent  in  Eng- 
land, while  the  names  of  Gabrielle  Wietro- 
witz  and  Marie  Soldat  are  known  throughout 
Europe,  and  Maude  Powell  and  Leonora  Jack- 
son are  among  the  brightest  lights  from  the 
United  States. 

Miss  Emily  Shinner  has  been  in  many 
respects  a  pioneer  amongst  lady  violinists,  for 
in  1874,  when  quite  young,  she  went  to 
BerUn  to  study  the  violin.  In  those  days 
pupils  of  the  fair  sex  were  not  admitted  to 
the  Hochschule,  and  Miss  Shinner  began 
to  study  under  Herr  Jacobsen.  It  happened, 
however,  that  a  lady  from  Silesia  arrived  at 
Berlin,  intending  to  take  lessons  of  Joachim, 
but  unaware  of  the  rules  against  the  admis- 
sion of  women  to  the  Hochschule.  Joachim 
interested  himself  in  her,  and  she  was  exam- 
ined for  admission.  Miss  Shinner  at  once 
presented  herself  as  a  second  candidate,  and 
the  result  was  that  both  ladies  were  accepted 


Women  as  Violinists.  327 

as  probationers.  In  six  months  Miss  Shin- 
ner  was  allowed  to  become  a  pupil  of 
Joachim,  and  thus  gained  the  distinction  of 
being  the  first  girl  violinist  to  study  under 
the  great  professor. 

Again  in  1884  Miss  Shinner,  having  ac- 
quired a  great  reputation  in  musical  circles 
in  England,  was  called  upon  at  very  short 
notice  to  take  Madame  Neruda's  place  as 
leader  to  the  "  Pop  "  Quartet,  on  which  occa- 
sion she  acquitted  herself  so  well  that  an 
encore  of  the  second  movement  of  the  quar- 
tet was  demanded.  Since  that  time  she  has 
been  always  before  the  public,  and  has  taken 
special  interest  in  chamber  music  and  quar- 
tet playing,  the  Shinner  Quartet  of  ladies 
having  acquired  a  national  reputation. 

Her  marriage  to  Capt.  A.  F.  Liddell  took 
place  in  1889. 

Marie  Soldat  was  born  at  Gratz  in  1863 
or  1864,  and  was  the  daughter  of  a  musician, 
who  was  pianist,  organist,  and  choirmaster, 


328  Famous  Violinists. 

and  who  gave  her  instruction  from  her  fifth 
year  on  the  piano.  Two  years  later  she 
began  to  learn  the  organ,  and  was  soon  able 
to  act  as  substitute  for  her  father  when 
occasion  required  her  services.  Until  her 
twelfth  year  she  studied  music  vigorously, 
taking  violin  lessons  with  Pleiner  at  the 
Steier  Musical  Union  at  Gratz,  and  com- 
position with  Thierot,  the  Kapellmeister,  at 
the  same  time  keeping  on  with  the  piano- 
forte. 

She  played  the  phantasie-caprice  by 
Vieuxtemps  in  a  concert  at  the  Musical 
Union  when  she  was  ten  years  of  age,  and 
at  thirteen  she  went  on  a  tour  and  played 
Bruch's  G  minor  concerto. 

Soon  after  this  she  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  her  father,  and  a  little  later  her  violin 
teacher,  Pleiner,  also  died,  so  that  her  prog- 
ress received  a  check.  Joachim,  however, 
visited  Gratz  to  play  at  a  concert,  and  the 
young  girl  went  to  him  and  consulted  him 


Women  as  Violinists.  329 

as  to  her  future  course.  As  a  result  of  the 
interview  she  began  to  take  lessons  of  August 
Pott,  a  good  violinist  at  Gratz,  and  the 
following  year  (1879)  she  again  went  on 
a  concert  tour,  visiting  several  cities  in 
Austria. 

During  this  tour,  she  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Johannes  Brahms,  who  took  a  great 
deal  of  interest  in  her,  advised  her  to  devote 
all  her  energies  to  the  violin,  and  succeeded 
in  arranging  for  another  interview  with 
Joachim,  the  result  of  which  was  that  she 
was  enabled  to  enter  the  Berlin  High  School 
for  Music.  Here  she  pursued  her  studies 
until  1882,  after  which  she  still  continued 
her  studies  and  took  private  lessons  of 
Joachim. 

At  the  high  school  she  gained  the 
Mendelssohn  prize,  and  from  that  time 
commenced  her  career  as  a  virtuosa,  tour- 
ing extensively  throughout  Europe.  One 
of  her  greatest  triumphs  was  when,  in  1885, 


330  Famous  Violinists. 

at  Vienna,  she  played  Brahm's  violin  con- 
certo with  Richter's  orchestra. 

Her  career  has  been  marked  by  hard 
work  and  continual  practice,  which  have 
enabled  her  to  overcome  many  obstacles, 
and  have  placed  her  on  a  level  with  the  very 
best  violinists  of  her  sex. 

The  Ladies'  String  Quartet,  which  she 
formed  in  Berlin,  consisting  of  herself  as  first 
violin,  with  Agnes  Tschetchulin,  Gabrielle 
Roy,  and  Lucie  Campbell,  had  a  creditable 
career,  and  appeared  in  several  German 
cities. 

In  1889  Marie  Soldat  married  a  lawyer 
named  Roger,  but  did  not  retire  from  her 
profession.  She  is  now  known  as  Madame 
Soldat-Roger. 

Gabrielle  Wietrowitz  was  born  a  few  years 
later,  in  1866,  at  Laibach,  and  was  also  a 
pupil  at  the  Musical  Institute  at  Gratz. 
Her  father  was  a  military  bandsman  who 
had    some   knowledge    of    the   violin,   which 


Women  as  Violinists.  331 

enabled  him  to  give  his  daughter  elementary 
instruction  on  that  instrument. 

After  a  few  years  he  left  Laibach  to  settle 
in  Gratz,  and  Gabrielle  took  violin  lessons 
from  A.  Geyer  (some  accounts  say  Caspar). 
On  entering  the  Musical  Union  she  made 
a  sensation  by  playing  brilliantly  at  a  concert 
before  a  large  audience.  She  was  then 
eleven  years  of  age,  and  from  that  time  she 
made  the  most  rapid  progress,  taking  first 
prize  at  the  annual  trial  concert.  In  con- 
sequence of  her  great  promise  Count  Aichel- 
burg,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Directorate 
of  the  Musical  Union,  presented  her  with 
a  valuable  violin,  and  the  Directorate  assigned 
her  a  yearly  salary  which  enabled  her  to 
go  to  Berlin  and  enter  the  high  school,  where 
she  became  a  pupil  of  Joachim  in  18 82. 

At  the  high  school  her  career  was  as 
brilliant  as  it  had  been  in  Gratz,  for  at  the 
end  of  her  first  year  she  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing the  Mendelssohn  prize,  which  brought 


332  Famous  Violmists. 

her  1,500  marks,  and  at  the  end  of  her  third 
year  she  took  it  for  a  second  time. 

She  remained  at  the  high  school  three 
years,  after  which  she  began  a  splendid 
career  by  playing  the  concerto  by  Brahms 
at  the  St.  Cecilia  Festival  at  Miinster.  Then 
followed  a  series  of  concert  tours,  which  re- 
sulted in  securing  her  a  reputation  as  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  stars  amongst  women. 

Miss  Wietrowitz  plays  with  the  most  con- 
summate ease  the  greatest  works  of  the 
modern  school.  She  has  a  powerful  and 
brilliant  tone,  with  sweet  tenderness  and 
sympathy,  which  appeal  to  the  soul  of  the 
listener,  and  she  confines  her  repertoire  to 
the  highest  class  of  musical  compositions. 
She  has  recently  succeeded  Miss  Emily 
Shinner  as  first  violin  in  the  quartet  which 
that  talented  lady  established  in  England. 

The  most  recent  star  of  Europe  is  Madame 
Saenger-Sethe,  whose  appearances  are  invari- 
ably followed   by  eulogies   from   the  critics. 


Women  as  Violinists.  333 

In  Berlin,  when  she  appeared  at  the  Singa- 
kademie,  in  November,  1 898,  where  she  was 
assisted  by  the  Philharmonic  Orchestra,  one 
critic  declared  that  no  violin  playing  had 
been  heard  to  compare  with  it  during  that 
season,  with  the  exception  of  Burmester's 
performance  of  the  Beethoven  concerto. 
"  Such  wealth  and  sensuous  beauty  of  tone, 
such  certainty  of  technique,  such  mental  grasp 
of  the  work,  and  at  the  same  time  such  all- 
conquering  temperament  have  not  been  heard 
in  Berlin  at  the  hands  of  a  female  violinist 
during  several  years."  After  many  recalls, 
she  gave,  as  an  encore,  a  rousing  performance 
of  a  Bach  sarabande. 

Mile.  Irma  Sethe  was  born  on  April  2^, 
iSy6,  at  Brussels,  and  such  was  her  early 
aptitude  for  music  that  at  the  age  of  five 
she  was  placed  under  a  violinist  of  repute, 
named  Jokisch,  who  in  three  months  from 
the  start  taught  her  to  play  a  Mozart  sonata. 
Five    years    of    bard    study    enabled    her  to 


334  Famous  Violinists. 

appear  at  a  concert  at  Marchiennes,  when 
she  played  a  concerto  by  De  Beriot  and  the 
rondo  capriccioso  by  Saint-Saens.  The  fol- 
lowing year  she  played  at  Aix-la-Chapelle, 
and  made  such  an  impression  that  several 
offers  of  concert  engagements  were  made, 
but  were  declined  by  her  mother  on  the 
score  of  the  child's  health,  and  for  three 
years  after  this  she  never  appeared  at  a 
concert. 

One  summer,  during  the  holidays,  she  met 
August  Wilhelmj,  who  was  charmed  with 
her  talent,  and  devoted  his  mornings  for  two 
months  to  giving  her  lessons  daily.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  emphasised  his  appreci- 
ation by  making  her  a  present  of  a  valuable 
violin.  She  still  continued  her  regular  studies 
with  Jokisch,  until,  acting  on  the  advice  of 
her  friends,  she  obtained  a  hearing  from 
Ysaye,  and  played  for  him  Bach's  prelude 
and  fugue  in  G  minor. 

Ysaye   at    once   recognised    her    immense 


Women  as  Violinists.  335 

ability,  and  advised  her  to  enter  the  conser- 
vatoire at  Brussels,  which  she  did,  with  the 
result  that  in  eight  months  she  carried  off 
the  first  prize,  being  then  only  fifteen  years 
of  age.  She  continued  her  studies  for  three 
more  years,  and  was  frequently  employed  as 
a  substitute  for  Ysaye,  as  professor,  to  teach 
his  classes  while  he  was  absent  on  concert 
tours. 

In  1894  she  appeared  with  him  at  a  num- 
ber of  important  concerts,  and  shortly  after- 
wards made  her  first  concert  tour,  visiting 
many  of  the  principal  towns  of  Germany. 
In  November,  1895,  she  made  her  first  ap- 
pearance in  London,  where  she  was  pro- 
nounced to  be,  with  the  exception  of  Lady 
Halle,  the  most  remarkable  lady  violinist 
who  had  ever  appeared  before  the  public  in 
England,  and  where  her  excellent  technique, 
perfect  intonation,  warmth  of  feeling,  and 
musical  insight  were  highly,  almost  extrava- 
gantly, praised. 


336  Famous  Violinists. 

In  August,  1898,  Mile.  Sethe  married 
Doctor  Saenger,  a  litterateur,  and  professor 
of  philosophy  at  Berlin,  but  she  continues 
her  career  as  a  violinist,  and  has  made  sev- 
eral tours  of  Europe.  She  has  been  com- 
pared to  Rubinstein,  inasmuch  as  her 
remarkable  musical  temperament  and  irre- 
sistible impulsiveness  carry  her  at  times 
almost  beyond  the  limits  of  her  instrument, 
but  these  are  the  very  qualities  by  which  she 
captivates  and  carries  away  her  hearers. 

Among  other  European  ladies  who  have 
made  their  mark  as  violinists,  and  whose 
stars  are  in  the  ascendant,  may  be  men- 
tioned Sophie  Jaffd,  who  has  been  called  the 
greatest  of  all  women  violinists,  and  Frida 
Scotta. 

Although  many  years  behind  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe  in  musical  life,  and  with  a 
musical  atmosphere  not  nearly  as  dense  as 
that  found  in  almost  any  village  of  Italy, 
France,  or  Germany,  America  has  contributed 


Women  as  Violinists.  337 

to  the  musical  world  many  shining  lights 
during  the  past  few  years.  Mile.  Urso 
has  been  claimed  as  an  American  violinist, 
though  she  was  born  in  Europe  and  was  a 
good  violinist  before  she  reached  these 
shores,  but  in  1864,  in  New  York,  Arma 
Senkrah  was  born,  who  for  a  few  years 
rivalled  Teresina  Tua. 

The  real  name  of  Arma  Senkrah  was 
Harkness,  which  for  professional  purposes 
she  "  turned  end  for  end,"  as  the  sailors 
would  say,  and  dropped  an  '*  s."  After  Miss 
Harkness  had  been  taught  the  elements  of 
music  by  her  mother,  she  went  to  Brussels 
to  study  under  Wieniawski,  and  then  to 
Paris,  where  she  became  a  pupil  of  Massart„ 
She  is  said  also  to  have  taken  lessons  of 
Vieuxtemps  and  of  Arno  Hilf. 

In  1 88 1  she  won  the  first  prize  at  the 
Paris  Conservatoire,  a  feat  which  always 
stamps  the  winner  "artist."  From  1877  to 
1880   Arma  Senkrah  travelled  a  great  deal 


33 8  Famous  Violinists. 

throughout  Europe,  and  in  1882  she  played, 
under  her  proper  name,  at  the  Crystal  Pal- 
ace, London.  She  was  created,  at  Weimar, 
a  chamber  virtuoso,  by  the  grand  duke. 
Here  she  met  and  shortly  afterwards  married 
a  lawyer  named  Hoffman,  and  disappeared 
from  the  concert  platform. 

New  York  has  contributed  other  stars  to 
the  violin  firmament,  for  Nettie  Carpenter 
and  Geraldine  Morgan  are  names  which  have 
become  well  known. 

Miss  Carpenter  went  abroad  at  an  early 
age,  though  not  until  she  had  appeared  in 
concerts  in  her  native  city,  and  created 
considerable  interest. 

On  going  to  Paris,  she  was  successful  in 
passing  the  entrance  examinations  for  the 
Conservatoire,  and  in  1884  won  the  first 
prize  for  vioHn  playing.  In  1882  she  ap- 
peared in  London  at  the  promenade  concerts, 
and  again  in  1884,  when  she  confirmed  the 
reputation   which  she  had   made  two  years 


Wovie7t  as  Vioiifiists.  339 

previously,  at  the  same  concerts.  From  that 
time  on  she  went  through  the  usual  routine 
of  the  concert  violinist,  with  considerable 
success. 

In  1894  she  married  Leo  Stern,  the  violon- 
cello player,  but  the  union  did  not  continue 
for  long,  Mr.  Stern  becoming  about  four 
years  later  the  husband  of  Miss  Suzanne 
Adams,  the  opera  singer. 

Miss  Geraldine  Morgan  is  the  daughter  of 
John  P.  Morgan,  who  was  for  some  years 
organist  of  Old  Trinity  Church,  New  York. 
She  studied  in  her  native  city  under  Leopold 
Damrosch,  besides  which  she  received  much 
instruction  from  her  father.  Then  she  went 
to  Leipzig,  where  she  studied  with  Schra- 
dieck,  after  which  she  was  the  pupil  in  Berlin 
of  Joachim,  under  whose  guidance  she  re- 
mained eight  years.  She  was  the  first 
American  who  ever  gained  the  Mendelssohn 
prize. 

Miss  Morgan  has  made  tours  through  the 


340  Famous  Violinists, 

Continent  and  Great  Britain,  and  had  the 
honour  of  playing  the  Bach  double  concerto 
with  Joachim  at  the  Crystal  Palace.  In  1891 
she  appeared  in  New  York  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Walter  Damrosch. 

A  lady  who  holds  a  high  position  among 
the  violinists  of  the  world  is  Miss  Maud 
Powell,  who  was  born  in  Aurora,  111.,  in 
1868.  Her  father  is  American  and  her 
mother  German.  She  began  her  musical 
education  at  the  age  of  four,  by  taking  piano 
lessons.  At  eight  she  took  up  the  violin, 
and  made  such  excellent  progress  that,  when 
she  was  thirteen  years  old,  she  was  taken  to 
Leipzig,  where  she  studied  under  Schradieck, 
and  received  her  diploma  in  a  year,  playing 
also  at  one  of  the  Gewandhaus  concerts. 

She  next  went  to  Paris,  where  she  was  the 
first  selected  out  of  eighty  applicants  for 
admission  to  the  Conservatoire.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  she  accepted  an  engagement 
for  a  tour  in  England,  and  had  the  honour 


>       1 


»      »   » 


»,»  :»  :  >, 


XT 


MAUD  POWELL, 


V 


Wome7i  as  Violinists.  341 

of  playing  before  the  royal  family.  While  in 
London  Joachim  heard  her,  and  expressed 
his  approval  of  her  capabilities  by  inviting 
her  to  go  to  Berlin  and  become  one  of  his 
pupils,  which  she  accordingly  did,  and  re- 
mained with  him  for  two  years. 

In  1885  she  made  her  debut  in  Berlin  at 
the  Philharmonic  concerts,  when  she  played 
the  Bruch  concerto,  which  she  also  played  in 
Philadelphia  later  in  the  same  year.  Her 
performance  in  America  brought  her  much 
praise,  and  she  was  declared  to  be  a  marvel- 
lously gifted  woman,  one  who  in  every  fea- 
ture of  her  playing  disclosed  the  instincts 
and  gifts  of  a  born  artist,  though  she  had 
not  yet  reached  the  heights  of  her  ability. 
Since  that  time  she  has  gained  in  breadth, 
and  has  become  a  mature  artist. 

Miss  Powell  has  appeared  in  the  best  con- 
certs throughout  America,  and  has  gained  a 
reputation  second  to  no  American  violinist. 
By  many  she  is  declared  to  be  the  equal  of 


342  Famous  Violinists, 

Soldat  and  Wietrowitz  in  tone,  technique, 
and  interpretative  power.  She  has  an  im- 
mense repertoire,  and  is  also  a  student  of 
literature.  She  also  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  to  establish  a  female  quartet  in 
America.    (JUjyi^    ^ptM^    '  \  -  \  ■]  /~^ 

The  latest  American  lady  violinist  to  gain 
honours  abroad  is  Miss  Leonora  Jackson, 
w^ho  won  the  Mendelssohn  state  prize  at 
Berlin,  in  1 898,  and  who  has  gained  a  great 
reputation  by  her  performances  before  the 
most  important  musical  organisations  in 
Europe. 

Miss  Jackson  was  fortunate  enough  to 
attract  the  attention  of  Mrs.  Grover  Cleve- 
land, who  admired  her  talent,  and,  with  Mr. 
George  Vanderbilt,  sent  her  abroad.  For 
two  years  she  studied  in  Paris,  and  then  went 
to  Berlin,  where  she  became  a  pupil  of 
Joachim.  In  Berlin  she  made  her  debut  in 
1896,  with  the  Philharmonic  Orchestra, 
which  was    conducted   by  Joachim   on    that 


Women  as  Violinists.  343 

occasion.  Shortly  afterwards  she  was  com- 
manded by  the  Empress  of  Germany  to  play 
at  the  Royal  Opera  House,  in  Berlin,  and 
she  soon  earned  for  herself  a  position 
amongst  the  best  of  the  rising  violinists  of 
the  day. 

When  she  appeared  in  London,  in  1898, 
she  surprised  and  delighted  the  audience, 
displaying  a  fine  tone,  natural  musical  feel- 
ing, and  complete  technique.  Few  violinists 
can  play  with  such  quiet,  intense  sentiment. 
Miss  Jackson,  though  but  twenty  years  of 
age,  is  already  a  veteran  concert  player,  for 
she  has  appeared  in  many  cities  of  Europe, 
and  was  already  known  in  America  before 
she  went  to  Berlin.  She  played  in  July, 
1 899,  before  the  Queen  of  England  at  Wind- 
sor Castle,  and  again  in  August  at  Osborne 
House,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

The  time  has  long  since  gone  by  when 
mere  showy  technique  would  earn  a  reputa- 
tion for  any  violinist,   male   or  female,  and 


344  Famous   Violinists, 

she  who  expects  to  be  numbered  with  the 
great  violinists  must  be  first  of  all  a  musi- 
cian, capable  of  interpreting  the  greatest 
works.  If  in  addition  to  this  she  has  "  the 
divine  spark,"  she  will  be  truly  great. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

FAMOUS    QUARTETS. 

Quartet  playing  is  at  once  the  delight 
and  the  despair  of  the  amateur,  who  finds  no 
greater  pleasure  than  an  evening  spent  in 
endeavouring  to  unravel  the  intricacies  of 
chamber  music,  nor  any  keener  disappoint- 
ment than  the  realisation  that  it  is  capable 
of  far  better  interpretation. 

For  the  professional  there  are  many  influ- 
ences which  cause  him  to  hesitate  before  he 
launches  forth  upon  the  quicksands  of  public 
performance.  The  first  necessity  in  profes- 
sional quartet  playing  is  the  devotion  of  a 
large  amount  of  time  to  the  acquisition  of  a 
perfect  ensemble.     A  quartet  may  be  likened 

345 


34^  Famous  Violinists. 

unto  a  family,  in  which  the  members  learn  to 
know  one  another  by  being  brought  up  to- 
gether, and  few  are  the  professionals  who  can 
sacrifice  the  time  necessary  for  the  acquisition 
of  this  perfect  ensemble. 

Apparently  very  little  was  done  previous  to 
the  nineteenth  century  in  the  way  of  quartet 
concerts,  but  Baillot  founded  a  series  of  quartet 
concerts  in  Paris,  which  were  highly  spoken 
of,  and  about  the  same  time  Schuppanzigh, 
an  excellent  violinist  and  teacher  in  Vienna, 
established  a  quartet  which  became  famous. 
In  this  quartet  Mayseder  played,  in  his 
younger  days,  second  violin,  Mayseder  was 
considered  the  foremost  violinist  in  Vienna, 
but  he  never  travelled  as  a  virtuoso. 

When  Spohr  went  first  to  Leipzig  and  was 
unknown,  he  had  to  find  a  way  by  which  he 
could  attract  attention  to  himself,  —  in  those 
days  the  advertising  agent  was  not  much 
in  evidence,  —  so  that  he  might  give  a  con- 
cert with  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success. 


Famous  Quartets.  347 

The  rich  merchants,  to  whom  he  had  brought 
letters  of  introduction,  knew  nothing  of  him 
and  received  him  coldly.  "  I  was  very  anx- 
ious to  be  invited  to  play  at  one  of  their 
music  parties  in  order  to  draw  attention  to 
myself,"  Spohr  says  in  his  autobiography, 
"and  my  wish  was  fulfilled,  for  I  was 
invited  to  a  grand  party  and  asked  to  play 
something.  I  chose  one  of  the  loveliest  of 
the  six  new  quartets  of  Beethoven,  with 
which  I  had  often  charmed  my  hearers  in 
Brunswick.  But  after  a  few  bars  I  already 
noticed  that  my  accompanists  knew  not  the 
music  and  were  quite  incapable  of  playing  it. 
This  disturbed  me,  and  my  dismay  increased 
when  I  observed  that  the  assembled  com- 
pany paid  little  attention  to  my  playing. 
Conversation  became  general,  and  ultimately 
so  loud  as  almost  to  drown  the  music.  I 
rose  in  the  midst  of  the  music,  hurried  to  my 
violin  case  without  saying  a  word,  and  was  on 
the  point  of  putting    my  instrument    away. 


348  Famous  Violinists. 

This  made  quite  a  sensation  in  the  company, 
and  the  host  approached  me  questioningly. 
I  met  him  with  the  remark,  —  which  could 
be  heard  everywhere,  —  '  I  have  always  been 
accustomed  to  be  listened  to  with  attention. 
As  it  has  been  otherwise  here,  I  thought 
the  company  would  prefer  that  I  should 
stop.'  The  host  did  not  know  at  first  how 
to  reply,  and  retired  somewhat  discomfited. 
As  I  made  preparations  for  leaving,  after 
having  excused  myself  to  the  other  musicians, 
the  host  came  up  and  said,  quite  amicably : 
'  If  you  could  but  play  something  else,  some- 
thing more  suitable  to  the  taste  and  capacity 
of  the  company,  you  would  find  them  an 
attentive  and  grateful  audience.'  It  was 
clear  to  me  before  that  I  had  chosen  the 
wrong  music  in  the  first  instance  for  such 
a  company,  and  I  was  glad  enough  now  to 
have  an  opportunity  to  change  it.  So  I  took 
up  my  violin  again  and  played  Rode's  E  flat 
quartet,  which  the   musicians  already  knew 


Famous  Qjiartcts.  349 

and  accompanied  well  enough.  This  time 
there  was  perfect  silence,  and  the  enthusiasm 
for  my  playing  increased  with  each  move- 
ment. At  the  end  of  the  quartet  so  much 
flattery  was  heaped  upon  me  that  I  trotted 
out  my  hobby-horse,  —  the  G  variations  of 
Rode.  With  this  piece  I  made  quite  a  sen- 
sation, and  for  the  remainder  of  the  evening: 
I  was  the  object  of  the  most  flattering 
attention." 

This  little  episode  shows  that  Beethoven 
was  not  fully  appreciated,  and  it  also  shows 
that  quartet  playing  was  regarded  at  that 
time  in  an  entirely  different  light  from  that 
in  which  we  are  accustomed  to  think  of  it  to- 
day. We  do  not  consider  the  first  violinist  a 
soloist  and  the  rest  merely  his  accompani- 
ment, but  each  member  of  the  quartet  is 
practically  of  equal  importance. 

Lambert  Joseph  Massart,  the  eminent 
teacher  of  Paris,  is  said  to  have  been  an  ex- 
cellent quartet  player,   and  often,   with    his 


350  Fmnoiis  Violinists. 

wife,  an  admirable  pianist,  he  gave  delightful 
chamber  concerts. 

Few   violinists   have    been    more    closely 
associated  with  quartet  playing  than  Ferdi- 
nand   David,  in    his    way   one    of   the  most 
celebrated  violinists.      Little  is  known  of  his 
early  youth  except  that  he  was  born  at  Ham- 
burg in  1810,  and  was  there  at  the  time  of  the 
French  occupation.     It  has  been  said  that  he 
played  in  a  concert  at  ten  years  of  age  and  at 
thirteen  became  a  pupil  of  Spohr  at  Cassel. 
He    made    a    concert  tour    with    his    sister, 
Madame  Dulcken,  and  in   1827  entered  the 
orchestra  of  the  Konigstadt  Theatre  at  Berlin. 
Here  he  became  acquainted  with   Mendels- 
sohn, with  whom  he  was  from  that  time  on 
terms   of  the   greatest   intimacy.     While    in 
Berlin  he  was  heard  by  a  wealthy  musical 
amateur  named  Liphart,  who  lived  at  Dorpat, 
and  who  maintained  a  private  quartet.     He 
engaged  David,  who  eventually  married  his 
daughter,  to  lead  this  quartet,  and  for  several 


Famous  Quartets.  351 

years  the  young  violinist  remained  in  Dorpat, 
though  he  found  opportunity  to  make  some 
concert  tours  through  the  north  of  Europe. 

When  Mendelssohn  was  appointed  con- 
ductor of  the  Gewandhaus  concerts  at  Leip- 
zig, he  sent  for  David  and  made  him  concert 
master,  which  post  he  occupied  from  1836. 
Seven  years  later  the  conservatory  was 
founded  by  Mendelssohn,  and  David  became 
professor  of  violin,  in  which  position  his 
influence  became  great  and  beneficial. 

In  Leipzig  David  established  a  quartet, 
which  was  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very 
best,  in  its  day,  though  it  may  have  been 
surpassed  later  by  the  Florentine  Quartet 
and  those  of  Joachim,  in  London  and  Ber- 
lin, and  possibly  by  Brodsky's  later  Leipzig 
quartet. 

David  died  in  1873,  beloved  and  respected, 
and  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most 
refined  musicians  and  admirable  teachers  of 
the  century. 


352  Famous  Violinists. 

Josef  Hellmesberger,  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  violinists  and  noted  teachers  of 
Vienna,  founded,  in  1849,  ^  quartet  which 
achieved  an  immense  reputation.  His  asso- 
ciates were  Heissler,  Durst,  and  Schlesinger. 
Hellmesberger  made  a  point  of  finding  works 
of  merit  which  had  sunk  into  oblivion,  but 
which  were  worthy  of  a  hearing.  Hellmes- 
berger spent  the  whole  of  his  life  in  Vienna, 
with  the  exception  of  a  tour  in  1847,  "^"^^ 
he  held  the  highest  musical  office  in  the 
Austrian  Empire,  that  of  director  of  the 
Imperial  Band. 

A  story  which  is  told  of  him  bears  tes- 
timony to  his  remarkable  musical  instinct. 
Teresa  Milanollo,  in  1840,  took  a  new  man- 
uscript by  De  Beriot  to  Vienna.  She  wished 
to  keep  it  for  her  own  use,  and  did  not 
show  it  to  anybody.  Hellmesberger  heard 
it  played  at  two  rehearsals,  and  then  went 
home  and  wrote  out  the  whole  work  from 
memory. 


Fajnous  Quartets.  353 

No  small  portion  of  the  immense  influence 
which  Joachim  has  wielded  in  the  musical 
world  has  been  directed  toward  quartet 
playing,  and  he  has  established  a  quartet 
in  London  and  another  one  at  Berlin,  which 
both  bear  an  enviable  reputation.  His 
chamber  music  classes,  too,  at  the  Berlin 
High  School,  tend  to  develop  admirable 
quartet  players  ;  thus  we  find  Marie  Soldat 
organising  a  ladies'  quartet  which  had  a 
good  career,  and  Gabrielle  Wietrowitz  taking 
the  place  of  first  violin  in  the  excellent 
ladies'  quartet  formed  in  England  by  Miss 
Emily  Shinner.'  Miss  Shinner,  whose  efforts 
in  the  artistic  world  have  been  of  great  value, 
and  whose  quartet  has  an  immense  reputa- 
tion in  England,  was  also  a  pupil  of  Joachim. 

The  "Florentine  Quartet"  was  founded 
by  Jean  Becker,  a  violmist  of  excellent  ability, 

*  The  Shinner  Quartet  consisted  of  Miss  Emily  Shin- 
ner (Mrs.  F.  Liddell),  first  violin,  Miss  Lucy  H.  Stone, 
second  violin,  Miss  Cecilia  Gates,  viola,  and  Miss  Flor- 
ence Hemmings,  violoncello. 


354  Famous  Violinists. 

who  made  his  mark  in  Europe  about  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Becker 
was  travelUng  in  Italy  in  1865,  and  settled 
in  Florence  for  a  time,  during  which  he 
organised  the  above-mentioned  quartet,  with 
Masi,  second  violin,  Chiostri,  viola,  and  Hil- 
pert,  violoncello.  In  Florence  there  existed 
a  society  for  the  performance  of  chamber 
music,  which  had  been  established  by  a 
wealthy  professor  named  Bazzini,  a  violinist 
and  composer  who  travelled  much,  and  whose 
influence  in  Italy,  in  the  cause  of  German 
music,  was  of  great  value.  Bazzini  was  born 
in    18 1 8  and  died  in   1897. 

From  time  to  time  this  society  gave  sub- 
scription concerts,  and  Becker  was  invited 
to  lead  ten  such  concerts  during  the  winter 
of  1865-66.  He  consented  to  do  so,  but 
found  the  quartet  in  a  state  of  dissolution. 
He  brought  Hilpert  with  him,  and  engaged 
Masi  as  second  violin,  Chiostro  being  the 
only  member  of  the  original  quartet.     Masi 


Famous  Quartets.  355 

was  not  accustomed  to  chamber  music,  but 
Becker  took  him  in  hand  and  he  improved 
rapidly.  In  order  to  still  enhance  his  value 
in  the  quartet,  Becker  presented  him  with 
a  Stradivarius  violin.  They  remained  in 
Florence  until  their  ensemble  was  absolutely 
perfect,  and  then  began  a  series  of  tours 
which  took  them  all  over  Europe.  In  Vienna 
the  quartet  was  subjected  to  comparison  with 
those  of  Hellmesberger  and  of  Joachim,  for 
the  former  had  just  given  sLx  chamber  con- 
certs, and  the  latter  three.  The  first  concert 
given  by  the  Florentine  Quartet  was  thinly 
attended,  but  the  report  of  its  excellence 
brought  an  overflowing  audience  to  the 
second  concert,  and  in  all  ten  were  given 
during  the  remainder  of  the  season. 

About  1875  Hilpert  withdrew,  and  his 
place  was  filled  by  Hegyesi,  who  remained 
with  the  quartet  until  it  was  disbanded  in 
1880. 

An    excellent    series    of   quartet    concerts 


356  Famous  Violinists. 

was  founded  in  Stuttgart  by  Edmund  Singer, 
who  was  appointed  professor  of  violin  in 
the  Conservatorium,  leader  of  the  court 
music,  and  chamber  musician,  in  1861,  after 
a  distinguished  career  of  some  ten  or  more 
years  as  a  virtuoso.  These  concerts  met 
with  triumphant  success. 

Georg  J.  R.  Heckmann  founded  a  quartet 
at  Cologne  and  travelled  through  Europe, 
but  it  was  surpassed  by  the  Florentine 
Quartet,  and  did  not  gain  the  highest  repu- 
ation. 

A  quartet  which  has  been  pronounced  to 
be  one  of  the  best  in  existence  is  that  which 
is  led  by  Jeno  Hubay,  in  Pesth,  and  in  which 
Hegyesi,  formerly  of  the  Florentine  Quartet, 
is  the  'cellist. 

Adolf  Brodsky,  who  for  a  time  resided  in 
New  York,  founded  a  string  quartet  at  Leip- 
zig, with  Hans  Becker,  son  of  the  founder 
of  the  Florentine  Quartet,  Hans  Sitt,  and 
Julius  Klengel,  the  'ceUist,  and  this  quartet 


Famous  Quartets.  357 

was  said  to  have  no  superior  in  Europe,  and 
not  more  than  one  equal,  —  the  Joachim 
Quartet  of  Berlin.  In  1891  Brodsky  went 
to  New  York,  where  he  also  established  a 
quartet,  but  with  little  success.  The  organisa- 
tion was  received  with  respect,  owing  to  Mr. 
Brodsky's  European  reputation,  but  it  was 
admitted  on  all  hands  that  superior  organ- 
isations existed  in  America.  Before  Mr. 
Brodsky  had  time  to  bring  his  quartet  to 
a  high  degree  of  proficiency,  he  returned 
to  Europe,  and,  after  a  brief  stay  in  Ger- 
many, accepted  a  position  in  England,  where 
he  has  established  another  quartet. 

He  was  succeeded  in  the  quartet  at  Leip- 
zig and  at  the  conservatory  by  Arno  Hilf,  a 
distinguished  violinist  with  an  enormous 
technique,  who  was  bom  in  1858  and  was 
taught  by  David,  Rontgen,  and  Schradieck. 

Quartet  playing  in  public  was  established 
in  England  in  1835,  when  the  admirers  of 
Joseph  Dando,  an  excellent  violinist,  opened 


358  Famous  Violinists, 

a  subscription  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
some  concerts  in  which  the  chamber  music, 
and  especially  the  quartets  of  Haydn,  Mozart, 
Beethoven,  Spohr,  etc.,  should  be  performed. 
The  first  concert  was  given  at  the  Horn 
Tavern,  Doctors'-Commons,  in  London,  on 
September  23d  of  that  year,  and  being  highly 
successful,  a  second  was  given  on  Octo- 
ber 1 2th,  and  a  third  on  the  26th,  each 
proving  more  attractive  than  its  predecessor. 
These  concerts  lasted  for  two  seasons,  when 
a  new  quartet  was  formed,  with  H.  G.  Bla- 
grove  and  Henry  Gattie  as  first  and  second 
violins,  Mr.  Dando,  viola,  and  Mr.  Lucas, 
'cello,  for  the  more  perfect  study  and  presen- 
tation of  quartets  and  other  chamber  music. 
These  concerts  were  given  at  the  Hanover 
Square  rooms,  and  on  account  of  the  care 
bestowed  upon  the  rehearsals  (of  which  they 
held  seven  or  eight  for  each  concert),  they 
threw  all  previous  performances  into  the 
shade. 


FamoiLS  Quartets.  359 

The  tide  of  public  favour  had  now  set  in, 
and  other  quartets  were  formed,  but  none 
reached  such  excellence  as  that  headed  by 
BlagrovCj  which  was  invited  to  play  at  the 
Philharmonic  concerts,  where  it  produced  a 
great  sensation. 

About  the  end  of  the  seventh  season 
Blagrove  withdrew,  but  the  quartet  con- 
tinued in  existence  for  many  years,  Mr. 
Dando  playing  first  violin,  and  Mr.  Loder, 
the  viola,  and  the  concerts  were  given  at 
Crosby  Hall  in  the  city,  instead  of  the 
Hanover  Square  rooms. 

At  St.  Petersburg  a  quartet  was  formed 
by  Leopold  Auer,  an  excellent  violinist,  who 
at  the  death  of  Wieniawski  was  appointed 
professor  of  violin  at  the  Conservatoire. 
Auer  was  born  in  Hungary,  and  became 
a  pupil  of  Dont  at  Vienna,  after  which  he 
had  a  brilliant  career  as  a  virtuoso  in  Europe. 
His  St.  Petersburg  quartet  was  founded  in 
1868,  and  became  one  of  the  leading  musical 


360  Famous  Violinists. 

organisations  of  the  Russian  capital,  until  the 
death  of  Davidoff,  the  violoncellist,  who  was 
one  of  its  members,  in  1890. 

Auer  has  been  very  active  in  the  musical 
life  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  is  very  highly 
esteemed  both  as  a  man  and  as  a  musician, 
teacher,  and  performer. 

A  quartet  which  has  gained  a  great  reputa- 
tion in  Europe  during  recent  years  is  the 
Bohemian  Quartet,  consisting  of  Carl  Hoff- 
mann, first  violin,  Joseph  Suk,  second  violin, 
Oscar  Nedbal,  viola,  and  Hanus  Wihom, 
violoncello.  They  play  with  a  great  deal 
of  vim  and  abandon,  and  the  ensemble  is 
remarkable. 

At  Hanover  Richard  Sahla  has  established 
a  quartet,  with  Meneke,  Kugler,  and  Loele- 
berg,  and  Arnold  Rosa's  quartet,  of  Vienna, 
has  travelled  in  Hungary,  Italy,  and  other 
countries,  gaining  a  good  reputation. 

In  the  United  States  there  have  been  well 
meant  efforts  to  found  good  quartets,  and 


Famous  Quartets.  361 

these  have  all  had  a  beneficial  influence. 
In  Boston  Mr.  Bernhard  Listemann,  some 
twenty  years  ago,  established  a  quartet  which 
gave  some  very  delightful  concerts,  but  the 
past  decade  has  witnessed  the  rise  of  an 
organisation  which  is  able  to  bear  comparison 
with  any  quartet  in  the  world. 

The  Kneisel  Quartet  was  organised  in 
1885,  the  year  in  which  Mr.  Franz  Kneisel 
accepted  the  position  of  concert-master  to 
the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.  Mr.  Henry 
L.  Higginson  invited  him  at  the  same  time 
to  organise  a  quartet,  and  a  series  of  con- 
certs was  given  that  season  in  Chickering 
Hall.  While  the  excellence  of  the  quartet 
was  apparent  from  the  start,  there  were  com- 
paratively few  people  in  Boston  who  took 
much  interest  in  chamber  music,  and  the 
audiences  were,  as  a  rule,  small.  Year  by 
year  they  have  increased,  and  for  the  past 
few  years  it  has  been  necessary  to  give  the 
concerts   in   Association    Hall,   which  has  a 


362  Famous  Violinists. 

seating  capacity  about  twice  as  large  as  that 
of  the  original  hall. 

The  second  violin  is  Mr.  Otto  Roth/  a 
native  of  Vienna,  who  played  for  three  years 
under  the  baton  of  Hans  Richter,  and  came 
to  Boston  to  play  first  vioUn  in  the  Symphony 
Orchestra. 

Mr.  Louis  Svecenski,  an  excellent  artist, 
who  studied  in  the  Vienna  Conservatory, 
under  Hellmesberger  and  Griin,  plays  the 
viola,  and  the  'cellist  is  Alwyn  Schroeder, 
an  artist,  who  had  achieved  a  high  reputa- 
tion as  a  'cello  virtuoso,  before  he  came  to 
America. 

After  a  few  years  the  Kneisel  Quartet 
began  to  appear  in  other  cities,  and  now 
gives  regular  series  of  subscription  concerts 
in  New  York,  Washington,  Baltimore,  Hart- 
ford, and  Worcester,  also  Harvard,  Yale, 
and  Princeton  Universities,  besides  occasional 

*  Mr.  Roth  retired  from  the  quartet  in  1899  and  his 
place  was  filled  by  Mr.  Karl  Ondricek. 


>     1  >^  >  »  »     » 


'    '   > 


kneise; 


#v^^ 


v.- 


Famous  Quartets.  363 

performances  in  more  remote  cities.  In 
1896  the  quartet  had  given  over  eight  hun- 
dred concerts  since  its  formation. 

At  the  end  of  the  Symphony  season  in  Bos- 
ton, in  1 896,  the  Kneisel  Quartet  made  a  visit 
to  London  and  gave  several  concerts.  In 
London  it  was  obliged  to  stand  comparison 
with  the  finest  quartets  in  existence.  The 
Joachim  Quartet  and  the  Bohemian  Quartet 
gave  concerts  the  same  season,  but  the 
unanimous  verdict  was  to  the  effect  that 
none  could  equal  the  Kneisel  Quartet  in 
absolute  ensemble  and  perfection  of  detail. 
While  the  Bohemian  Quartet  played  with  a 
great  deal  of  abandon  and  enthusiasm,  and 
the  Joachim  Quartet  contained  players  of 
a  greater  reputation  in  Europe,  yet  the 
Kneisel  Quartet  simply  confirmed  the  repu- 
tation it  had  acquired  in  America.  "  It 
would,  indeed,  be  impossible  to  conceive 
greater  perfection  in  the  matter  of  en- 
semble, precision,  delicacy,  and  all  the  qaal- 


364  Famous  Violinists. 

ities  requisite  for  the  proper   interpretation 
of  chamber  music." 

In  the  spring  of  1899  the  Kneisel  Quartet 
made  an  extended  tour  in  America,  and 
found  the  musical  condition  of  the  great 
cities  in  the  United  States,  as  evidenced  by 
the  appreciation  of  music,  fully  equal  to  that 
of  the  European  centres.  Brahms  and  Bee- 
thoven were  played  in  Denver  and  in  San 
Francisco  to  audiences  who  were  fully  equal 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  highest  class  of 
music,  and  everywhere  the  quartet  was 
greeted  with  enthusiasm. 

The  success  of  the  Kneisel  Quartet  is  due 
to  the  long  and  arduous  practice  which  the 
members  have  enjoyed  together,  for  perfec- 
tion in  quartet  playing  is  only  possible 
through  long  association. 

While  virtuosity  is  not  essential  for  quar- 
tet playing,  good  musicianship  is  very  neces- 
sary. Patient  and  self-denying  practice  are 
absolute  requisites, 


Famous  Quartets.  365 

The  love  of  chamber  music  is  apparently 
growing  in  the  United  States,  for  in  many 
of  the  large  cities  quartets  have  been  estab- 
lished by  good  musicians,  and  the  oppor- 
tunities for  hearing  fine  interpretations  of 
the  best  chamber  music  are  increasing  each 
year.  It  is  a  branch  of  musical  art  which 
appeals  only  to  cultivated  taste,  for  it  is 
necessarily  free  from  sensationalism  and 
individual  display.  Therefore,  the  love 
of  quartet  playing  may  be  considered  to  be 
a  true  index  of  the  growth  of  musical 
culture. 


THE   END. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE    OF 
FAMOUS    VIOLINISTS. 


"C"  indicates  that  the  date  given  is  only  approximate. 


Name. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Alessandro,  Romano     . 

Italy 

<:i53o 

> 

Baltazarini     . 

Italy 

^1550 

Farina,  Cario 

Italy 

cisSo 

Alberghi,  Paolo     . 

Italy 

£■1600 

Biber,  Henry  J.     . 

England 

<:i6oo 

? 

Cortellini,  Camillo 

Italy 

cri6oo 

Madorus,  Giovanni 

Venice 

C1600 

Manoir,  Guillaume 

> 

fi6oo 

Baltzar,  Thomas    . 

Lubec 

1630 

London 

1663 

Bannister,  John     . 

England 

1630 

London 

1679 

LuUi,  Jean  Baptiste  de 

Florence 

1633 

Paris 

1687 

Strunck,  Nicolas  Adam 

Germany 

1640 

? 

1700 

Laurenti,  Bartolomeo  G. 

Bologna 

1644 

? 

1726 

Vitali,  Tomasso     . 

Bologna 

CI  650 

j> 

? 

Eccles,  John  .... 

London 

1650 

London 

1735 

Marini,  Carlo  Antonio  . 

Bergamo 

<:i65o 

5 

? 

Corelli,  Arcangelo 

Italy 

1653 

Rome 

1713 

Aschenbrunner,  Christian  H. 

Alstettin 

1654 

Jena 

1732 

Bassani,  Giovanni  B.     . 

Padua 

1657 

Ferrara 

1716 

Vivaldi,  Antonio    . 

Venice 

<:i66o 

■> 

1743 

Eccles,  Henry 

'  London 

1660 

London 

> 

Bannister,  John,  Jr. 

England 

1673 

London 

1735 

Albinoni,  Thomas 

Venice 

1674 

Venice 

1745 

Hesse,  Ernest  Christian 

1  Germany 

1676 

Darmstadt 

1762 

Somis,  Lorenzo 

Piedmont 

1676 

> 

1763 

Aubert,  Jacques     . 

? 

1678 

Paris 

1753 

Geminiani,  Francesco   . 

Lucca 

1680 

Dublin 

1762 

Alberti,  Guiseppe  Matteo     . 

Bologna 

1685 

? 

> 

Veracini,  Francesco 

Florence 

C1685 

1750 

SenaUl^,  Jean  Baptiste 

Paris 

1687 

? 

1730 

Pisendel,  Johann  Georg 

Karlsburg 

1687 

Dresden 

1755 

Birckenstock,  Johann  P 

\.. 

Hesse 

1687 

Eisena 

ich 

1733 

367 


368 


Chro7io logical  Table. 


Place  and  Date  of  1 

Place  and  Date  ol 

Name. 

Birth. 

Death. 

Montanari,  Francesco  . 

Padua 

? 

Rome 

1730 

Matheis,  Nicola     . 

? 

> 

1749 

Gentili,  Georges    . 

Venice 

1688 

? 

Valentini,  Guiseppe 

Florence 

1690 

? 

Castrucci,  Pietro   . 

Rome 

1690 

London 

1769 

Tartini,  Guiseppe  . 

Pirano 

1692 

Padua 

1770 

Locatelli,  Pietro    . 

Bergamo 

1693 

Amsterdam 

1764 

Rothe,  August  Friedrich 

Sonderhausen 

1696 

? 

1784 

Leclair,  Jean  Marie 

Lyons 

1697 

Paris 

1764 

Graun,  Jean  G.      .         .         . 

Germany 

1698 

Berlin 

1771 

Francoer,  Francois 

Paris 

1698 

1787 

Abaco,  Evaristo  F.  Dall 

Verona 

CI  700 

> 

Anderle,  F.  J. 

? 

C1700 

? 

Bitti,  Martini 

? 

1700 

? 

Borghi,  Luigi 

? 

> 

? 

Brown,  Abram 

? 

> 

? 

Carbonelli,  Stefano 

Rome 

CI  700 

London 

? 

Dalloglio,  Domenico    • 

Venice 

CI  700 

Russia 

1764 

Guignon,  Jean  Pierre    . 

Turin 

1702 

Versailles 

1775 

Dubourg,  Matthew 

England 

1703 

London 

1767 

De  Croes,  Henri  Jacques     . 

Antwerp 

1705 

Brussels 

1786 

Guillemain,  Gabriel 

Paris 

1 70s 

> 

1770 

Czarth,  Georg  C. 

Deutschbrod 

1708 

Mannheim 

1774 

Benda,  Franz 

Albenatky 

1709 

Potsdam 

1786 

Girauek,  Femandino     . 

Bohemia 

I7I2 

Dresden 

1761 

Benda,  Johann 

Albenatky 

I7I3 

Potsdam 

1752 

D'Auvergne,  Antoine 

France 

I7I3 

Lyons 

1797 

Clegg,  John 

Ireland 

I7I4 

? 

C1750 

Hempel,  George  C. 

Gotha 

I7I5 

Gotha 

1801 

Fritz,  Caspar 

Geneva 

1716 

Geneva 

1782 

Giardini,  Felice 

Turin 

I7I6 

Moscow 

1796 

Mozart,  Leopold    . 

Augsburg 

I7I9 

Salzburg 

1787 

Stamitz,  Johann  Carl     . 

Bohemia 

I7I9 

Mannheim 

1761 

Bini,  Pasqualino   . 

Pesaro 

1720 

? 

? 

Morigi,  Angelo     . 
Lemiere          .... 

? 

? 

Parma 

17S8 

? 

? 

Paris 

1771 

Pagin,  Andre  Noel 

Paris 

I72I 

? 

> 

Abel,  Leopold  A. 

Cothen 

CI  700 

? 

? 

Festing,  Michael  C. 

London 

? 

London 

1752 

Ferrari,  Domenico 

Piacenza 

? 

Paris 

1780 

Enderle,  Wilhelm  G.    . 

Bajo-euth 

1722 

Darmstadt 

1793 

Nardini,  Pietro 

Tuscany 

1722 

Florence 

1793 

Lefebre,  Jacques  . 

Prinzlow 

1723 

? 

1777 

Van  Malder,  Pierre 

Bi-ussels 

1724 

Brussels 

1768 

Glaser,  John  Michel 

Erlangen 

1725 

? 

? 

Hattasch,  Dismas 

Hohenmant 

1725 

Gotha 

1777 

Gavinies,  Pierre     . 

Bordeaux 

1726 

Paris 

1800 

Gow,  Neil      .... 

Strathband 

1727 

Invar 

1787 

Pugnani,  Gaetano 

Turin 

1727 

Turin 

1803 

Manfredi,  Filippo 

Lucca 

1729 

Madrid 

C1780 

Chronological  Table. 


369 


Name. 


Gall  ,  Domenico 
Cai.uabich,  Christian 
Lulli,  Antonio 
\  aciion,  Pierre 
Ciceptert,  Charles  F. 
Uaunondi,  Ignazio 
Lahoussaye,  Pierre 
Haranc,  Louis  Andre 
Celestine,  Eligio    . 
\\'eigl,  Franz  J.     . 
Tomasini,  Luigi     . 
Godecharle,  Eugene  C.  J. 
Miiiler,  Thomas    . 
Cramer,  Wilhelm 
Ernst,  Franz  Anton 
Jamo-nick,  Giovanni  M. 
Navoigille,  Guillaume  J. 
Paisible 

Salomon,  Johann  Peter 
Cambini,  Giovanni  G. 
Ger\'ais,  Pierre  Noel 
Stamitz,  Carl 
Ghirett,  Gaspar     . 
Leduc,  Simon 
Mestrino,  Niccolo 
Guerillot,  Henri    . 
Navoigille,  Herbert  J. 
Obermeyer,  Joseph 
Bagatella,  Antonio 
Almeyda,  C.  F. 
Fuchs,  Peter 
Henry,  Bonaventure 
Kriegck,  J.  J. 
Sirmen,  Maddalena 
Woldemar,  Michael 

Uarthelemon,  Francois  H. 
Campagnoli.  Bartolomeo 
Lamotte,  Francois 
Berthaume,  Isidore 
Kasska,  Wilhelm 
brunetti,  Gaetano 
Janitsch,  Anton     . 
'-em,  Pierre   . 
Fiorillo,  Federigo 
Stamitz,  Anton 
Viotti,  Giovanni  B. 
Kranz,  Johann  F. 
Mosel,  Giovanni  F. 
Leduc,  Pierre 


Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 


Venice 

Mannheim 

Bergamo 

Aries 

Weissenstein 

Naples 

Paris 

Paris 

Rome 

Bavaria 

Pesaro 

Brussels 

Bohemia 

Mannheim 

Bohemia 

Palermo 

Givet 

Paris 

Bonn 

Leghorn 

Mannheim 

Mannheim 

Naples 

Paris 

MUan 

Bordeaux 

Givet 

Bohemia 

Padua 

Bohemia 

Bebra 

Venice 
Orleans 

Bordeaux 

Cento 

Vienna 

Paris 

Ratisbon 

Pisa 

Switzerland 

Copenhagen 

Brunswick 

Mannheim 

Piedmont 

Weimar 

Florence 

Paris 


Place  and  Date  ot 
Death. 


1730 

3 

1730 

Frankfort 

1730 

Sicily 

I73I 

Beriin 

1733 

Weimar 

1733 

London 

1735 

Pans 

1738 

Paris 

1739 

> 

1740 

Vienna 

I74I 

Hungary 

1742 

Brussels 

1744 

Sw-itzerland 

1745 

London 

1745 

Gotha 

1745 

St.  Petersburg 

1745 

Paris 

1745 

St.  Petersburg 

1745 

London 

1746 

Bicetre 

1746 

Bordeaux 

1746 

Jena 

1747 

Parma 

I74S 

Paris 

1748 

Paris 

1749 

Paris 

1749 

? 

1749 

■> 

1750 

•i 

<ri750 

? 

1750' 

Vienna 

^1750  ' 

> 

1750  1 

Meiningen 

<:i750  • 

3 

1750 

Clermont- 

Ferrand 

1751 

3 

1751 

Neustrelitz 

1751 

Holland 

1752  , 

St.  Petersburg 

1752 ; 

Ratisbon 

1753 

Madrid 

1753 ' 

Westphaha 

1753 

3 

1753 

? 

1753 

Paris 

1753 

London 

1754 1 

Stuttgart 

1754  ! 

i 

1755  ! 

HoUand 

1793 
1802 
1802 
1798 

1802 
1^18 
1805 

1820 
1808 
1S14 

1799 
1805 
1804 

iSn 
17S1 
1S15 
1825 
1805 
i!;oi 
1827 
17S7 
1790 
1805 


1804 
181? 


1816 

ito8 
1827 
17S1 
1S02 
1806 
iSoS 
1812 
•> 

ciSoo 
? 

1S24 
1807 

1816 


370 


Chr 0710 logical  Table. 


Name. 


Fauvel,  Andr^  Joseph 
Lacroix,  Antoine  . 
Wranitzky,  Paul  . 
Haack,  Karl 
Rolla,  Alessandro 
Galeazzi,  Francesco 
Liber,  Wolfgang  . 
Weberlin,  Jean  F. 
Bruni,  Antonio  B. 
Gautherot,  Louise 
Guiliani,  Francois 
Haack,  Friedrich 
Krommer,  Franz 
Neubauer,  Franz  C. 
Jamewicz,  Felix  . 
Wranitzky,  Anton 
Wessely,  Johann  . 
Bonnet,  Jean  Baptiste 
Danzi,  Franz 
Peshatschek,  Francois 
Alday,  P. 
Lorenziti,  Bemado 
Schlick,  Regina  (Sacchi) 
Cartier,  Jean  Baptiste 
LaCroix,  Antoine  . 
Hampeln,  Karl  von 
Eck,  Johann  F.  . 
Hunt,  Karl  . 
Kreutzer,  Rudolph 
De  Voider,  Pierre  Jean 
Romberg,  Andreas 
Pauwels,  Jean  E. 
Spagnoletti,  P. 
Valmalete,  Louis  de 
Grasset,  Jean  J.  . 
Paravicini,  Signora 
Boucher,  Alexandre  Jean 
Gerbini,  Luigia 
Girault,  August 
Hoffmann,  Heinrich  Anton  , 
Baillot,  Pierre  M.  F.  de  Sales 
Festa,  Guiseppe  M. 
Labarre,  Louis  J.  C. 
Vacher,  Pierre  Jean 
Lottini,  Denis 
Vaccaro,  Francesco 
Eck,  Franz  . 
Rode,  Pierre 

Eberwen,  Traugott  M. 


Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 


Bordeaux 

Remberville 

Moravia 

Potsdam 

Pavia 

Turin 

Donanworth 

Stuttgart 

Piedmont 

Florence 
Potsdam 
Kamenitz 
Bohemia 
Wilna 
Moravia 
Bohemia 
Montauban 
Mannheim 
Bohemia 
Perpignan 
Wiirtemburg 
Mantua 
Avignon 
? 

Mannheim 

Mannheim 

Dresden 

Versailles 

Antwerp 

Vechta 

Brussels 

Cremona 

Rieux 

Paris 

Turin 

Paris 

Paris 

Mainz 

Passy 

Naples 

Paris 

Paris 

Orleans 

Modena 

Mannheim 

Bordeaux 

Weimar 


1756 
1756 
1756 
1757 
1757 
1758 
1758 
1758 
1759 
1760 
1760 
1760 
1760 
1760 
1761 
1761 
1762 
1763 
1763 
1763 
1764 
1764 
1764 
1765 
1765 
1765 
1766 
1766 
1766 
1767 
1767 
1768 
1768 
1768 
1769 
1769 
1770 
1770 
1770 
1770 
1771 
1771 
1771 
1772 
1773 
1773 
1774 
1774 

1775 


Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 


Lubeck 
Vienna 
Potsdam 
Milan 
Rome 
Ratisbon 
Stuttgart 
? 


Vienna 
Biickeburg 
Edinburgh 
Vienna 


Carlsruhe 
Vienna 

? 

? 

? 

Paris 
? 

Stuttgart 
Bamberg 
? 

Geneva 

Brussels 

Gotha 

Brussels 

London 

Paris 

Paris 

Paris 

Mainz 

Paris 

? 

? 
Paris 
Orleans 
Portugal 
Strasburg 
Loire  -et  -  Ga- 
ronne 
Rudolstadt 


I»I2 

1808 
1819 
1841 
1819 
1817 
1825 


1819 

? 

183 1 

1795 
1848 
1819 

? 

> 
182& 
1816 

1813 

1841 

? 

1834 

1809 

? 

1831 
1841 
1821 
1804 
1834 

1839 

1861 
> 

1806 
1842 
1842 

1839 
? 

1819 
1826 
1823 

1804 

183 1 
1831 


Chronological  Table. 


371 


Name. 


Libon,  Philippe 
Schuppanzigh,  Ignace 
Dobrynski,  Ignace 
Giorgis,  Joseph 
Kieserwetter,  Cristophe 
Moralt,  Johann  B. 
Paravicini,  Mme.  . 
Blanchard,  Henri  L. 
Radicati,  Felice  A. 
Weiss,  Franz 
Bridgetower,  George  A. 
Miiller,  John  Henry 
Habeneck,  Fran(pois  A. 
Lafont,  Charles  Philippe 
PoUedro,  Giovanni  B. 
Mazas,  Jacques  F. 
Puppo,  Felice  A.  . 
Bohrer,  Anthony  . 
Linke,  Joseph 
Paganini,  Nicolo  . 
Spohr,  Louis . 
Zocca 

Fontaine,  Antoine  N.  M. 
Lafonde  . 
Eberwen,  Karl 
Granafond,  Eugene 
Pixis,  Friedrich,  Wilhelm 
Cudmore,  Richard 
Guhr,  Charles 
Berwald,  Johann  F. 
Fesca,  Friedrich  E. 
Maurer,  Ludwig  . 
Mayseder,  Joseph. 
Wery,  Nicolas  L.  . 
Femy,  Frangois  . 
Klose,  J. 

Lipinski,  Karl  Joseph 
Goetz,  Jean  N.  C. 
Benesch,  Joseph  . 
Pichatschek,  Francois 
Filipowicz,  Elizabeth  M. 
Jansa,  Leopold 
Krahmer,  Mme.  Caroline 
Parmy,  Joseph 
Batta,  Pierre 
Bohm,  Joseph 
Drin,  Finlay  . 
Lacy,  Michael  R. 
(jiorgetti,  Fernandino 
Mori,  Nicolas        . 


Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 


Cadiz 
Vienna 
Volhyna 
Turin 
Anspach 
Mannheim 
Milan 
Bordeaux 
Turin 
Silesia 
Poland 
Kbnigsberg 
Mezieres 
Paris 
Turin 
Beziers 
Turin 
Munich 
Silesia 
Genoa 
Brunswick 
Ferrara 
Paris 
? 

Weimar 

Compiegne 

Mannheim 

Chichester 

Militsch 

Stockholm 


>775 
1776 

•777 
'777 
1777 
'777 
'77» 
1778 
1778 
1778 
i779(?) 
1780 
1781 
17S1 
1781 
1782 
1778 
1783 
1783 
T784 
^784 
1784 
1785 
1785 
1786 
17S6 
1786 

1757 
1787 


Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 


Magdeburg 

1789 

Potsdam 

1789 

Vienna 

1789 

Liege 

1789 

Ghent 

1790 

London 

1790 

Poland 

1790 

Weimar 

1791 

Batelow 

1793 

Vienna 

1793 

> 

1794 

Bohemia 

1794 

> 

1794 

Austria 

1794 

Maastricht 

1795 

Pesth 

»795 

Aberdeen 

1795 

Bilbao 

1795 

Florence 

1796 

London 

1796 

Paris 

Vienna 

Warsaw 

London 
Munich 

Paris 


Paris 

Tarbes 

Turin 

> 

> 
Hanover 
Vienna 
Nice 
Cassel 

> 

St.  Cloud 
? 

Weimar 

? 

Prague 

Manchester 

Frankfurt 

Stockholm 

Carlsruhe 

St.  Petersburg 

Vienna 

Luxemburg 

London 
Urlow 

? 

■> 

Carlsnihe 
> 

Vienna 

Mainz 

Brussels 

Vienna 

Edinburgh 

London 

Florence 

London 


1838 

1830 

184 1 

> 

1827 
1825 

> 

1858 

1823 

> 

£■1850 
> 

1849 
1839 
1853 
1849 
1823 
1852 

'837 

1840 

1859 

> 

1866 
? 

1868 
> 

1842 
184 1 
1848 
1861 
1826 
1878 
1863 
1867 
p 

1830 

1861 

1861 

> 

1840 

1875 
> 

1835 
1876 
1876 
1853 
1867 
1867 
1839 


372 


Chronological  Table. 


Name, 


Calcagno,  Catarina 
Collins,  Isaac 
Girard,  Narcisse    . 
Miiller,  Karl  Friedrich 
Roberrechts,  Andre 
Rolla,  Antoine 
Tolberque,  Jean  B.  J.  . 
Coronini,  Paolo     . 
Batta,  Pantaleon  . 
Rudersdorff,  J.      . 
Gattie,  Henry 
Hellmesberger,  Georg  . 
Meerts,  Lambert   . 
Miiller,  Theodore  Heinrich 
Nohr,  Christian  F. 
Schulz,  Mile.  L.    .        .        , 
Wanski,  Johann  N. 
Kalliwoda,  Johann  W. 
Saint  Lubin,  Leon  de    . 
De  Beriot,  Charles 
Ella,  John      ... 
Labitzky,  Joseph  . 
Molique,  Wilhelm  Bernard 
Ries,  Hubert ... 
Lomagne,  Joseph  . 
Magnien,  Victor    . 
Kudelski,  Karl  Matthias 
Pollini,  Mme. 
Dando,  Joseph  H.  B.   . 
Hartmann,  Franz . 
Panofka,  Heinrich 
Sauzay,  Moritz 
Bessems,  Antoine 
Miiller,  Franz  F.  G,      . 
Bull,  Ole  Borneman 
David,  Ferdinand . 
Ganz,  Leopold 
Ghys,  Joseph 
Blagrove,  Henry  Gamble 
Hamm,  Johann  V. 
Sainton,  Prosper  Philippe     . 
Ernst,  Heinrich  Wilhelm 
Alard,  Delphine  J. 
Artot,  Alexandre  J.  M. 
Dent,  Jacob  .        .        .        . 
Sivori,  Ernest  Camillo  . 
Zerchoff,  Mile. 
Batta,  Alexandre   . 
Prume,  Frangois  Herbert 
Deldevez,  Ernest  . 


Place  and  Date  of 

Place  and  Date  of 

Birth. 

Death. 

Italy 

1797 

? 

? 

? 

1797 

London 

1871 

Nantes 

1797 

Paris 

i860 

Brunswick 

1797 

? 

1873 

Brussels 

1797 

Paris 

i860 

Parma 

1797 

Dresden 

1837 

Belgium 

1797 

Paris 

1869 

Vincenza 

1798 

? 

1875 

Paris 

1799 

Paris  ' 

1870 

Amsterdam 

1799 

Konigsberg 

1866 

? 

1800 

? 

? 

Vienna 

1800 

Newaldegg 

1873 

Brussels 

1800 

Brussels 

1863 

Brunswic 

1800 

? 

1855 

Thuringia 

1800 

Meiningen 

1875 

? 

1800 

? 

> 

Posen 

ciSoo 

? 

? 

Prague 

1801 

Carlsruhe 

1866 

Turin 

1801 

Beriin 

1856 

Louvain 

1802 

Brussels 

1870 

England 

1802 

London 

J  888 

Schonfeld 

1802 

Carlsbad 

1881 

Nuremburg 

1802 

Stuttgart 

1869 

Bonn 

1802 

Beriin 

1886 

Perpignan 

1804 

Perpignan 

1868 

Epinal 

1804 

Lille 

1885 

Beriin 

1S05 

Baden-Baden 

1877 

? 

1805 

? 

> 

London 

1 80b 

? 

1894 

Coblentz 

1807 

Cologne 

1857 

Breslau 

1807 

Florence 

1887 

Moravia 

1808 

Breslau 

1885 

Antwerp 

1809 

Antwerp 

1868 

Brunswick 

1809 

> 

> 

Bergen 

1810 

Bergen 

1880 

Hamburg 

1810 

Switzerland 

1873 

Mainz 

1810 

Beriin 

1869 

Ghent 

1810 

? 

1848 

Nottingham 

1811 

London 

1872 

Winterhausen 

1811 

Stuttgart 

1834 

Toulouse 

1813 

London 

1890 

Briinn 

1814 

Nice 

1865 

Bayonne 

1815 

Paris(?) 

1888 

Brussels 

1815 

Paris 

1845 

Vienna 

1815 

Vienna 

1888 

Genoa 

1815 

Paris 

1894 

) 

1815 

> 

? 

Maastricht 

1816 

? 

? 

Liege 

1816 

Li^ge 

1849 

Pans 

1817 

Paris 

1897 

Chronological  Table. 


373 


Name. 


Gobel,  Johann  Ferdinand 
Bazzini,  Antonio    . 
Dancla,  Jean  B.  C. 

Kramer,  Traugott . 
Eller,  Louis  . 
Hering,  Karl 
Leonard,  Hubert  . 
Batta,  Joseph 
Dreyschock,  Raimund 
Keler-Bela     . 
Neumann,  Louise . 
Vieuxtemps,  Henri 
Wallace,  Eliza 
Gautier,  Karl 
Hauser,  Miska 
Dancla,  Leopold   . 
Gaertner,  Karl 
Hermann,  Constant 
Eichberg,  Julius    . 
HuUweck,  Ferdinand 
De  Kontski,  Apollinari 
Bott,  Jean  Joseph 
Collins,  Rosina 
Hauser,  Maurice  . 
Kundinger,  August 
MilanoUo,  Teresa. 
Mollenhauer,  Edward 
Hellmesberger,  Georg 
Hermann,  Frederick 
Huber,  Karl  . 
Hellmesberger,  Joseph 
Rontgen,  Engelbert 
Adelburg,  August  R.  Von 
Arditi,  Emilia 
Garcin,  Jules  A.  S. 
Hennen,  Friedrich 
Remenyi,  Edouard 
Zirges,  Hortensia  . 
Bargheer,  Karl  Louis 
Joachim,  Joseph    . 
Kassmayer,  Moritz 
Kompel,  August    . 
Singer,  Edmund     . 
Laub,  Ferdinand   . 
Lauterbach,  Johann  C. 
Milanollo,  Maria  . 
Becker,  Jean 
Bennewitz,  Anton . 
Graff,  Carl 


Place  and  Date  of 

Place  and  Date  of 

Birth. 

Death. 

Baumgarten 

1817 

? 

? 

Brescia 

1818 

Milan 

1897 

Bagnieres    de 

Bignon 

1818 

? 

? 

Coburg 

1818 

? 

i> 

Graz 

1819 

Pau 

1862 

Berlin 

1819 

? 

1889 

Bellaire 

1819 

Paris 

1890 

Maastricht 

1820 

Bohemia 

1820 

Leipzig 

1869 

Himgary 

1820 
1820 

Wiesbaden 

1882 

Verviers 

1820 

Algiers 

1881 

England 

1820 

Vaugirard 

1822 

Vaugirard 

1878 

Presburg 

1822 

Vienna 

1887 

France 

1823 

189s 

Stralsund 

1823 

Douai 

1823 

Diisseldorf 

1824 

Boston 

1893 

Dessau 

1824 

Blasewdtz 

1887 

Warsaw 

1825 

Warsaw 

1879 

Cassel 

1826 
1826 

189s 

Berlin 

1826 

Kbnisberg 

1857 

Kitzengen 

1827 

Turin 

1827 

Erfurt 

1827 

Vienna 

1828 

Hanover 

1853 

Frankfort 

1828 

Varjas 

1828 

Pesth 

T885 

Vienna 

1829 

Vienna 

1893 

Holland 

1829 

? 

1830 

•i 

1873 

p 

1830 

Bourges 

1830 

? 

1896 

Heerlen 

1830 

Hungary 

1830 
1830 

San  Francisco 

1898 

Biickeburg 

1831 

Kitsee 

1831 

Vienna 

1S31 

Vienna 

1S84 

Bavaria 

1831 

Weimar 

1891 

Hungary 

183 1 

Prague 

1832 

Tyrol 

1875 

Bavaria 

1832 

Turin 

1832 

1848 

Mannheim 

1833 

Mannheim 

1884 

Privat 

1833 

Hungary 

18331 

374 


Chronological  Table. 


Name. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Filby,  Heinrich     . 

Vienna 

1834 

De  Ahna,  Heinrich  K.  H.     . 

Vienna 

1835 

Vienna                1892 

Jaflfe,  Moritz. 

Posen 

1835 

Monasterio,  Jesus 

Potes  (Spain) 

1835 

Strauss,  Ludvvig     . 

Pressburg 

1835 

Wieniawski,  Henry 

Poland 

1835 

Moscow               1880 

Besekirjsky,  Wasil  W.  . 

Moscow 

1836 

Carrodus,  John  T. 

Keighley 

1836 

London               1895 

Holmes,  Alfred      . 

London 

1837 

Paris                    1876 

Griin,  Jacob  .... 

Buda-Pesth 

1837 

Brousil,  Bertha 

? 

1838 

Piercy-Feeny,  Mme. 

1838 

Neruda,    Wilhelmina   (Lady 

Halld)      .        .         .        . 

Briinn 

1838 

Werner,  Hildegard 

1838 

Holmes,  Henry 

London 

1839 

Jacobsohn,  Simon 

Mittau 

1839 

Rappoldi,  Edouard 

Vienna 

1839 

Bargheer,  Adolph 

1840 

David,  Peter  P.     .         .        . 

Leipzig 

1840 

Lotto,  Isidor 

Warsaw 

1840 

Gobbi,  Aloys 

Pesth 

1844 

Heermann,  Hugo  . 

Hulbrbnn 

1844 

Sarasate,  Pablo  de 

Pampeluna 

1844 

Auer,  Leopold 

Hungary 

1845 

Singelee,  Louise    . 

1845 

Castellan,  Mile.     . 

1845 

Wilhelmj,  August . 

Usingen 

1845 

Courvoisier,  Carl  . 

Basle 

1846 

Schradieck,  Henry 

Hamburg 

1846 

Papini,  Guido 

Florence 

1847 

Walter,  Benno 

Munich 

1847 

De  Bono,  Victoria 

1848 

Heckmann,  Georg  J.  R. 

Mannheim 

1848 

Glasgow              1891 

Marsick,  Martin  P.  J.    . 

Jupille 

1848 

Drechsler-Adamson,  Mme.  . 

1849 

Gibson,  Alfred 

Nottingham 

1849 

Drechsler-Woycke,  Mme.     . 

? 

1850 

Brodsky,  Adolph    . 

Taganrog 

1851 

Hagen,  Adolph      . 

Bremen 

185 1 

Sauret,  Emil .... 

Dun-le-Roi 

1852 

Boulanger,  Mile.  . 

1853 

Meyer,  Waldemar . 

Beriin 

1853 

Zajic,  Florian 

Bohemia 

1853 

Ferrari,  Signora  Elvira 

1854 

Hermant,  Mile.     . 

1854 

Drechsler  -  Hamilton,  Mme. 

Agnes      .         .         .        . 

1855 

Hollander,  Gustav 

Silesia 

185s 

Sahla,  Richard 

Graz 

1855 

Chronological  Table. 


2>7. 


Name. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Kess,  Wilhelm      . 

Dordrecht 

1856 

Petri,  Henri  Wilhelm    . 

Utrecht 

1856 

Thomsou,  C^sar    . 

Li^ge 

1857 

Barcevicz,  Stanislaus     . 

Warsaw 

1858 

Hilf,  Amo      .... 

Saxony 

1858 

Huber,  Eugen  (Jeno  Hubay) 

Budapest 

1858 

Halir,  Karl    .... 

Hohenlohe 

1850 

Hess,  Willie  .... 

Mannheim 

1859 

Ondricek,  Franz    . 

Prague 

1859 

Ysaye,  Eugene 

Liege 

1859 

Loeffler,  Charles  Martin 

Alsace 

186 1 

Rossi,  Marcello     . 

Vienna 

1862 

Wolff,  Johannes    . 

Hague 

1862 

Rose,  Arnold 

Roumania 

1863 

Soldat,  Marie 

Gratz 

1863 

Prill,  Carl      .... 

Berlin 

1864 

Senkrah,  Arma 

New  York 

1864 

Eissler,  Marianne . 

Briinn 

1865 

Kneisel,  Franz 

Roumania 

1865 

Carpenter,  Nettie  . 

New  York 

1865 

Dunn,  John   .... 

Hull 

1866 

Wietrowitz,  Gabrielle    . 

Laibach 

1866 

Dengremont,  Maurice   . 

Rio  Janeiro 

1867 

?                 C1887 

Gregoro^^ntsch,  Charles 

St.  Petersburg 

1867 

Tua,  Teresina 

Turin 

1867 

Powell,  Maud 

Aurora,  111. 

1868 

Sapellnikoff  .... 

Odessa 

1868 

Burmester,  Willy  . 

Hamburg 

1869 

Petschnikoff,  Alexander 

Moscow 

1^73 

Marteau,  Henri     . 

Reims 

1S74 

Saenger-Sethe,  Irma 

Brussels 

1876 

Jackson,  Leonora . 

Boston 

1879 

INDEX. 


Adams,  Suzanne,  339. 
Ahna,  H.  K.  de,  240. 
Aichelburg,  Count,  331. 
Alard,  D.,  68,  135,  144,  145, 

161,  226. 
Albertinatti,  105. 
Alday  le  jeune,  68. 
Alexander,  Czar,  81. 
Alexander  III.,  222. 
Amati,  Andrea,  13. 
Amati,  Nicolo,  14. 
Anet,  B.,  28,  35,  39,  40. 
Arditi,  Emilia,  312. 
Artot,  149,  150,  169,  192. 
Auer,  Leopold,  359,  360. 
Austria,  Emperor  of,  206. 

Bacchiochi,    Princess    Elise, 

112. 
Bach,  J.  S.,  254,  275,   277, 

334,  340. 
Baillot,  P.  M.  F.  de  S.,  26, 

68,  7i-75»  129,  144,   177, 

346. 
Baltizarini,  15. 
Baltzar,  Thomas,  19,  20. 
Banister,  John,  19,  20,  21. 


Bargheer,  C.  L.,  97. 
Baroni,  Leonora,  302. 
Bassani,  G.  B.,  30. 
Bazzini,  247,  354. 
Beauhamais,  Eugene,  307. 
Becker,  Hans,  356. 
Becker,      Jean,      353,      354, 

355- 
Beethoven,  L.   von,   57,   77, 

91,  205,  225,231,352,254, 

290.  333y  347,  258,  364. 

Benda,  Franz,  56,  57. 

Bennewitz,  277. 

Beriot,  Charles  A.  de,  25, 
28,  29,  67,  68,  136,  138- 
144,  147,  148,  150,  162, 
188,  266,  309,  334,  352. 

Berlioz,  Hector,  79,  80,  126, 
127,  128,  248,  253. 

Berry,  Duchesse  de,  81. 

Berthaume,  81. 

Bertin,  Armand,  127. 

Besekirskij,  Wasil  W..  240, 
285. 

Bianchi,  Antonia,  116. 

Bilse  Orchestra,  277,  283. 

Bini,  P.,  49. 

377 


378 


Index. 


Blagrove,   H.    G.,  97,    170, 

358-  .  . 
Bocchenni,  L.,  70. 

Bohemian  Quartet,  360,  363. 

Bohm,  J.,  28,  68,  206,  215. 

Brahms,  Johannes,  212,  253, 

329,  332,  364- 
Brazil,  Emperor  of,  230. 
Brodsky,  Adolf,  82,  263-265, 

356,  357- 
Brousil,  Bertha,  312. 
Bruch,  Max,  295,  328,  341. 
Brunswick,  Duke  of,  85. 
Bull,  Ole,  149,  150,  151,  152, 

153,     169,    172-203,   225, 

237- 
Biilow,  Hans  Von,  291,  292, 

293*31 5- 
Bunn,  247. 
Bunzl,  294. 
Burmester,  Willy,   286-293, 

Burney,  Doctor,  43,  55,  56. 

Calcagno,  Caterina,  in,  1 54, 

308. 
Caldera,  309. 
Campbell,  Lucie,  330. 
Careno,  Theresa,  265. 
Carpenter,  Nettie,  338. 
Carrodus,  John  T.,  170,  241. 
Cartier,  68. 

Cessole,  Conte  di,  117,  118. 
Cherubini,  62,  93,  136. 
Chiabran,  F.,  36. 
Chiostri,  354. 
Chopin,  F.,  187,  210. 
Ciandelli,  114. 
Clegg,  John,  24. 
Clement,  254,  255. 
CJementi.  36. 


Cleveland,  Mrs.  G.,  342. 
Cleves,  Anne  of,  301. 
Coburg-Gotha,  Duke  of,  240. 
Colbran,  Madame,  189. 
Collins,  Rosina,  308. 
Colonne,  295. 
Corbett,  William,  22. 
Corelli,  A.,  28,  30,  31-35,  36, 

38,  40,  50,  52,  59. 
Costa,  G.,  105,  157. 
Cumberland,  Duke  of,  302. 
Cuvillon,  68. 
Cuzzoni,  F.,  53. 

Damrosch,  Leopold,  339. 
Damrosch,      Walter,      263, 

340. 
Dancla,  C,  129,  135,  171. 
Dando,  J.,  357,  358,  359. 
D'Artot,  69. 
David,  Ferd.,  97,   234,  247, 

253.  350.  35i>  357- 
Davidoff,  360. 
Delavan,  136. 
Delibes,  214. 
Dellepaine,  157,  159. 
Dengremont,    M.,    68,    281, 

282. 
Derwies,  Baron,  268,  279. 
Diamantina,  La,  302. 
Dont,  Jacob,  68,   171,   285, 

359- 
Dubois,  295. 

Dubourg,  M.,  22,    23,  40. 
Dulcken,  Madame,  350. 
Dunn,  John,  299. 
Durand,  68. 
Durst,  352. 
Dwight,  J.  S.,  201,  225,  320, 

324- 
Eccles,  Henry,  22. 


Index, 


379 


Eck,  Ferdinand,  85. 
Eck,  Franz,  85. 
Eder,  Josephine,  163. 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  301. 
England,  Queen  of,  343. 
Ericsson,  Lief,  198. 
Ernst,  H.,  68,  146-149,  169, 
187,  233,  246,  247. 

Farina,  Carlo,  15,  16. 
Ferrari,  49. 

Ferrero,  309. 
Testing,  M.,  53. 
Fetis,  129,  145. 
Field,  86,  210. 
Filipowicz,  Madame,  308. 
Fischer,  Konrad,  232. 
Florentine  Quartet,  353-355, 

356. 
Fontana,  Giovanni  B.,  16. 

Garcia,  Pauline,  143. 
Gattie,  Henry,  358. 
Gautherst,  Louise,  307. 
Geminiani,  F.,  23,  24,  28,  35, 

40,  43- 
Gerbini,  Luigia,  68,  307. 
Gericke,  W.,  283. 
Germany,  Empress  of,  343. 
Geyer,  A.,  331. 
Ghiretti,  106. 
Giardini,  F.,  36,  53. 
Gorgey,  General,  206. 
Gotha,  Duke  of,  86. 
Gounod,  C,  294. 
Graun,  49,  56. 
GregoroM-itsch,  C,  241,  284, 

286. 
Griin,     Jacob,      242,      283, 

362. 
Guiraud,  279. 


Habeneck,    68,    78-80,    93' 

145'  309- 
Halir,    Carl,    256,    276-278, 

283. 
Halle,  Lady  (Mme.  Norman- 

Nenida),     312-319,     323, 

327,  335- 
Halle,  Sir  Charles,  124,  125, 
127,    136,    160,    169,    265, 

315-317- 
Hampton,  Miss,  222. 
Handel,  G.  F.,  23,  32. 
Hanover,  King  of,  248. 
Hanslick,  E.,  229. 
Harkness,  A.,  ^yi- 
Hauptmann,  247. 
Hauser,  Miska,  215-218. 
Hausmann,  234. 
Haydn,  J.,  58,  245,  358. 
Heckmann,  G.  J.  R.,  356. 
Hegyesi,  356. 
Heissler,  352. 
Hellmesberger,  G.,  68. 
Hellmesberger,  J.,  264,  283, 

352,  355'  362. 
Henry  VII.,  King,  301. 
Henselt,  162. 
Herwig,  150. 
Hess,  Willy,  256. 
Higginson,  H.  L.,  361. 
Hilf,  A.,  357. 
Hilpert,  354. 
Hoffmann,  215,  360. 
Hogarth,  G.,  133. 
Hollaender,  G.,  256. 
Holmes,  Henry,  98,  241. 
Holmes,  Alfred,  241. 
Hrimaly,  296. 
Hubay,  J.,  256,  299,  356. 
Huber,  Mile.,  143. 
Hummel,  245. 


38o 


Index, 


Hunt,  L.,  133. 
Isabella,  Queen,  226. 

Jackson,  17. 

Jackson,  Leonora,  326,  342, 
343. 

Jacobsen,  326. 

Jacotot,  139. 

Jaffe,  Sophie,  y}^^. 

Janin,  Jules,  126. 

Jansa,  L.,  313. 

Joachim,  J.,  16,  27,  29,  68, 
206,  212,  213,  224,  231, 
234.  236,  238,  240,  244- 
260,  277,  279,  285,  286, 
287,289,290,315,325,326, 
328,   329,  331,   341,   351, 

353»  355- 
Joachim  Quartet,  357,  363. 
Jokisch,  334. 

Joseph  II.,  Emperor,  306. 
Josephine,  Empress,  78,  307. 

Kalkbrenner,  Zt,. 

Kannitz,  Count  de,  114. 

Kinsky,  Count,  43,  49. 

Klapka,  206. 

Klengel,  J.,  356. 

Kneisel,  F.,  279,  282,  361- 

364- 
Kneisel   Quartet,   281,  284, 

361-364. 
Kompel,  97. 
Kossuth,  206. 
Kralmer,  Madame,  308. 
Kreutzer,  Rodolphe,  26,  68- 

71.  76,  93,   128,  136,  170, 

215- 
Kreutzer  Sonata,  137,  138. 
Kufferath,  238. 


Kugler,  360. 

Lablache,  L.,  142. 

Lacour,  186. 

Lafont,  C.  F.,  26,  29,  70,  80- 

82,  130,  309. 
Lahoussaye,  49. 
Lassabathie,  M.,  226,  227. 
Laub,  F.,  240,  297. 
Lauterbach,  68. 
Leclair,  J.  M.,  36,  51,  52. 
Lecloux,  162. 
Lenox,  Lady,  302. 
Leonard,    H.,  68,   136,    145, 

238,  268,  282,  294,  296. 
Leschetizky,  Th.,  298. 
Lichtenberg,  L.,  299. 
Liddell,  Capt.  A.  F.,  327. 
Lind,  Jenny,  216. 
Linley,  Thomas,  24. 
Liphart,  350. 

Lipinski,  K.  J.,  100-103,  130. 
Listemann,  B.,  299,  361. 
Liszt,  F.,  120,  137,  206,  213, 

233»  234,    245,   248,    253, 

310. 
Livron,  M.,  108. 
Locatelli,  28,  35,  2t^. 
Loder,  359. 
Loeffler,  C.  M.,    138,  279- 

281. 
Loeleberg,  360. 
Lolli,  A.,  55. 
Lotto,  L,  138. 
Louis  Philippe,  310. 
Lucas,  358. 
Lulli,  J.  B.,  30,  37-39- 
Lundholm,  177,  178,  179. 

Malibran,  25,  142,  143,  144, 
168,  188. 


Index. 


38< 


Manfredi,  49. 
Mapleson,  207. 
Mara,  G.  E.,  302,  305. 
Marches!,  105. 
Margherita,  Queen,  324. 
Maria  Theresa,  296. 
Marini,  B.,  15. 
Marsick,    M.,    28,    6S,    146, 

237-239.  267,  269. 
Marteau,  H.,  293-296. 
Masi,  354. 
Massart,    70,    136-138,  238, 

278,  320,  323,  349. 
Massenet,  294. 
Maurer,  182,  247. 
Maurin,  135. 
Mausch-Jerret,  M.,  236. 
Mayseder,  188,  215,  346. 
Mazas,  68. 

Mazzurana,  Doctor,  loi. 
Meek,  Countess  of,  222. 
Mell,  D.,  19. 
Mendelssohn,  161,  246,  247, 

278,279,329,331,342,351. 
Meneke,  360. 
Mettemich,  Count,  114. 
Milanollo.  M.,  310. 
Milanollo,   T.,    29.  68,   309, 

3^3^  352- 
Mingotti,  53. 
Molique,  B,  H.,  70,  162,  169, 

241,  294. 
Montes,  Lola.  216. 
Montebello,  Duke  of,  187. 
Morgan,  Geraldine,  2,2,^y  339, 

340. 
Mori,  68. 
Morra,  309. 
Mozart,  L.,  54. 
Mozart,  W.,  24,  58,306,  307, 

322,  323,  358. 


Murska,  Tlma  di,  265. 
Musa^us,  180,  181. 

Nagel,  150. 
Napoleon,  89,  90,  112. 
Napoleon  III.,  230. 
Nardini,  P.,   24,  49,  50,  54, 

55'  73^  3^3- 
Nedbal,  360. 
Neruda,  J.,  313. 
Neruda,  Norman,  318. 
Neumann,  E.,  308. 
Nicholl,  Anne,  302. 
Nickisch,  A.,  275,  295. 
Nilsson,  C,  169,  303. 
Norman,  L.,  314,  315. 
North,  Colonel,  20S. 

Occa,  Victoria  dall',  307. 
Ondricek,  F.,  267,  278. 
Ottey,  Sarah,  302. 
Ottoboni.  Cardinal.  31. 
Ouronoff,  Princess,  297. 
Oury,  A.  J.,  25. 

Paderewski.  I.,  273,  276. 

Paer,  106. 

Paganini,  Achille.  116. 

Paganini,  Antonio,  105. 

Paganini,  Nicolo,  26,  29,  75, 
82,  92,  ioc^i34,  135'  141. 
147,  148,  150,  151,  154, 
156,  157,  160,  161,  162, 
180,  183,  184,  185,  188, 
191,  200,  217,  233,  269, 
288,    308. 

Pallerini,  Mme.,  112. 

Para\'icini,  Mme.,  68,  307. 

Parmentier.  Captain,  310. 

Pasdeloup,  280,  321. 

Pasini,  109. 


382 


Index. 


Paton,  Mary  Ann,  302. 

Patti,  Adelina,  194. 

Patti,  Amalia  S.,  194. 

Paulsen,  175. 

Paur,  Emil,  298. 

Petri,  Henri,  236,  299. 

Petschnikoff,  A.,  296-298. 

Pfeiffer,  Marianne,  95. 

Piatti,  247. 

Piercy-Feeny,  Mme.,  312. 

Pisendel,  42. 

Pixis,  64,  68. 

Pleiner,  328. 

Polidori,  72. 

Pollani,  72. 

Pollini,  308. 

Portugal,  King  of,  285. 

Pott,  A.,  329. 

Powell,    Maude,   326,    340- 

342. 
Prume,  68. 

Prussia,  King  of,  310. 
Pugnani,  G.,  28,  29,  -^^^^  52, 

61. 
Purcell,  18. 

Quagliati,  P.,  15. 

Rappoldi,  E.,  68,  242. 
Remenyi,  E.,  150,  154,  205- 

215,  232. 
Riario,  Duke  of,  187. 
Richter,     Hans,    234,     330, 

362. 
Rivarde,  A.,  278. 
Roberrechts,  28,  68,  139. 
Rode,  Pierre,  28,  68,  70,  71, 

75-77,  120,  162,348,349. 
Roger,  330. 
RoUa,  105,  106, 
Rontgen,  357, 


Rose,  A.,  299,  360. 

Rossini,  67,  92,  191. 

Roth,  O.,  362. 

Rovelli,  70. 

Roy,  Gabrielle,  330. 

Rubinstein,  Anton,  154,  219, 

220,  273. 
Russia,  Czar  of,  285. 
Russia,  Empress  of,  324. 

Sacchi,   R.     (Schlick),   305, 

306,  307. 
Saenger-Sethe,  I.,  332-336. 
Sahla,  R.,  360. 
Saint-Saens,  C,  334. 
Sainte-Marie,  72. 
Sainton,  C.  P.,  169,  247. 
Salomon,  J.  P.,  57,  63. 
Santley,  C,  234. 
Sarasate,  P.,  28,  29,  68,  226- 

231,  238. 
Sauret,  E.,  265-267. 
Scarlatti,  A.,  ■^'}^^  34. 
Scheidler,  D.,  86. 
Schlesinger,  352. 
Schradieck,  H.,  265,  357. 
Schroeder,  A.,  281,  362, 
Schubert,  F.,  246. 
Schulz,  M.,  308. 
Schumann,    120,    162,    213, 

253- 
Schumann,  Mme.,  293. 

Schuppanzigh,  346. 

Scotta,  Frida,  336. 

Sechter,  215. 

Sembrich,  M.,  303. 

Senaille,  J.  B.,!28,  39. 

Senkrah,  A.,  337. 

Servaczinski,  246. 

Servais,  163. 

Servetto,  105. 


Index. 


383 


Shinner,  E.   (Mrs.   Liddell), 

325-327.  332,  353- 
Shinner     Quartet,      327, 

353- 
Simonelli,  30. 
Singer,  E.,  68,  239. 
Sirmen,  Maddalena,  303. 
Sitt,  Hans,  356. 
Sivori,  C,  150,153,154-16!' 

167,  168,  231,  294. 
Soldat,    M.,  257,   326,  327- 

330.  342,  353- 
Somis,  28,  29,  35,  51,  53- 
Sontag,  H.,  i43'  233- 
Soubre,  E.  J.,  163. 
Spain,  Queen  of,  230,  324. 
Spohr,  L.,  26,7  5'82-99>i58. 
159,    162,    170,    178'    1^2, 
183,    184,    188,    191,   233, 
261,  346-349.  358- 
Stamitz,  A.,  69. 
Stern,  Leo,  339. 
Stradivari,  A.,  14- 
Strakosch,  M.,  194- 
Strauss,  L.,  68. 
Suk,  J.,  360. 
Siissmayer,  120. 
Svecenski,  L.,  362. 
Sweden,  King  of,  198. 

Tartini,   G.,   29,  43.   44-5^' 

52,  54,  loi,  304- 
Thalberg,  163,  165,  166. 
Thierot,  328. 
Thomson,  C,  267-269,  273, 

279.  283. 
Thorpe,  S.  C,  197- 
Thursby,  Emma,  198. 
Tiby,  M.,  139- 
Torelli,  G.,  41- 
Tschetchulin,  Agnes,  330. 


Tua,  Teresina,  70,  138,  323- 

325.  337- 
Turkey,  Sultan  of,  217,  232. 
Tuscany,  Duke  of,  189. 

Urso,  Camilla,  312,319-322, 

323.  337- 
Urso,  Salvator,  319. 

Valentini,  34.       ^   ^,    ,  „ 
Valetta,  Count  F.  V.  della, 

325- 
Vanderbilt,  G.,  342. 

Veracini,  F.  M.,  42,  43.  46, 

47-  ,  . 

Viardot,  Madame,  240. 

Vidocq,  185- 

Vieuxtemps,  H.,  28,  68,  136, 
149,  162-169,  192,  202, 
221,    223,    231,    241,    271, 

328,  337- 
Villermot,  F.,  191. 
Viotti,  G.  B.,  28,  56-68,  72, 

73.75.81,85,93,140,  261, 

307- 
Vitali,  T.,  16,  40. 
Vivaldi,  A.,  36,  41.  42,  52- 
Vuillaume,  145. 


Wagner,  R.,  92,  162. 

Wales,  Prince  of,  324. 

Wales,  Princess  of,  324. 

Wallace,  1 50. 

Wallace,  Eliza,  308. 

Wasielewski,  244. 

Weber,  94- 

Weiss,  A.,  249. 

Werner,  H.,  312,  313. 
Wieniawski,    70,    136, 
154,    218-226,    231, 
271,  273,  285,  337- 


I  JO. 

270, 


3B4 


Index. 


Wietrowitz,    G.,    257,    326, 

330-332,  342,  353. 
Wihom,  H.,  360. 
Wilhelmj,  A.,  208,  209,  231- 

237,  263,  267,  282,  334. 
William  I,  Emperor,  230. 
Wittgenstein,    Prince    Emil 

of,  ^ZZ- 
Wood,  Mrs.,  302. 


Young,  18. 

Ysaye,  237,  239,  263,  269- 
276,  334,  335. 

Zampieri,  Marquis,  189. 
Zerbst,  Theresa,  277. 
Zerchoff,  Mile.,  308. 


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